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OUTGOING FIANNA FÁIL TDs Malcolm Byrne, Timmy Dooley and Margaret Murphy O’Mahony have received nominations to the Seanad.
The trio lost their seats during this month’s general election, but are hoping to return to government via the country’s upper house in a few weeks’ time.
They could each do so as one of 43 senators who are elected from panels of candidates representing five different vocational interests.
Dooley, the party’s former communications spokesperson, is running for election on the Industrial and Commercial Panel after receiving a nomination from the Restaurants Association of Ireland today – the last day for an outside body to do so.
He was a long-serving front-bench spokesperson until last year’s Votegate controversy, and lost his Dáil seat in Clare.
Meanwhile, Byrne – who became the second-shortest serving TD ever after he lost his seat in Wexford – has been nominated to the Cultural and Educational Panel.
Murphy O’Mahony, who lost her seat in Cork South-West, has also been nominated to the Cultural and Educational Panel.
Nominees for the five panels are formed before the Seanad General Election from candidates who are deemed to have knowledge and practical experience of relevant interests and services.
The Cultural and Educational Panel deals with national language and culture, literature, art, education, law and medicine, and is made up of five elected senators.
The Agricultural Panel deals with agricultural and allied interests and fisheries, and is made up of 11 elected senators.
The Labour Panel deals with both organised and unorganised labour, and is also made up of 11 elected senators.
The Industrial and Commercial Panel deals with industry and commerce, including banking, finance, accountancy, engineering and architecture, and is made up of nine elected senators.
And the Administrative Panel deals with public administration and social services, including voluntary social activities, and is made up of seven elected senators.
Individuals can receive nominations from one of a number of bodies who are deemed to be representative of the interests and services of a relevant panel, and whose primary interests are not for profit-making purposes.
Candidates were required to be nominated by these bodies by noon today, and those put forward will now have their names on the ballot as part of the overall Seanad elections.
Nominees can also come from the Oireachtas, via any newly elected TDs or outgoing senators, who may nominate one candidate for any panel between them. Each TD or outgoing senator may join in one nomination only.
The deadline for Oireachtas nominations closes on 2 March. Ballot papers will be issued from 16 March to those eligible to vote for one of the five panels, which includes members of the incoming Dáil, the outgoing Seanad, and members of local authorities.
Voting for the 43 Seanad seats will close on 30 March, when counting will begin.
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Is it just me?but who could give a flying f*ck!!!!
Wow… bit strong surely folks calling Sinéad a “nutcase”. She’s one of our best musical exports, someone who’s been very outspoken (and absolutely correct in my view) in her opinions on the church and child abuse etc. down through the years, and she’s just looking to have a bit of fun and have a chat about sex… where’s the harm in that?
Yeah, cos that reggae thing she did was faaaaantastic ;)
She’s jsut coming across as unbelievably horny, and id rather not listen to her go on about that.
I think there’s a reason you’re sitting at home alone in front of the TV eating chocolates love… You’re a nutcase!!
Feck off Sinead O’Connor
the woman is nuts ,
just wondering niall, if your woman wanted to say how it is she wants it, would you like her to broad cast it for everyone to hear or would you prefer she tells YOU for only YOU to hear??? if you rather she not broad cast it, may i ask why not… after all, wheres the harm init? … TINA.
Are you asking me, Margaret? Because the answer is simple. It’s a completely different situation to my personal life, which neither I nor “my woman”, as you call her, will be discussing here or on air. Sinéad O’Connor is single – she has chosen to talk openly about her sexuality and about sex. That’s her choice. Again – where’s the harm in it?
oh GUD…not another nutter in Ireland…we do have serious problems.
we too poor right now to care a shite about sex….really…i mean really?
now if this woman was talking about economics or music we may sit up and listen…but sex…i mean SEX…with the EORish?
Sinead and Niall seem to be stuck in the wrong decade. Irish reluctance discuss sex? Appropriate perhaps 30 years ago. Move with the times folks.
to be honest niall no i am not really asking you about your personal life however i was just curious as to how you would reply and you have, just as i knew you would. respecting ones desires and wants in the bedroom is both personal and private yet us irish women are told or questioned by ye are we still living in the dark ages because we dont want to broadcast how horny we are or not??? helloooo but you and the other fella are like two little boys thats after discovering you have two little toys and ye want the know how from women as in how to use them rightly, respect for other women as you have for your own is all i can say.. all that said, cheerio now and do have a nice day :-)
Sinead has the courage to put her head above the parapet – and see what happens – how cruel we Irish can be. Repressed? Absolutely YES, and it’s not only with sex. Freedom of thought in general is what ‘s missing, from some of the comments above . . .
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