Seanad Elections 2011

Sineadbcoyle

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to post it, but does anyone know what the story is about Seanad elections in 2011? I know there's questions about the Seanad at the moment but just wondering when it's on and stuff.

On wikipedia it says the elections must not be held more than 90 days after the Dail is dissolved. Also is there any way of checking whether you're registered to vote or not? Can't remember if I sent that form into Trinity!

Victor

http://www.tcd.ie/vpcao/administration/records-awards/seanad-electoral-register.php

JonJoeDali

With Norris going up for president and Ross up for election, there may be plenty of vacancies.

Anyone heard of anyone circling around the empty seats?

blubloblu

Bacik is also running in Dún Laoghaire.

dermot_sheehan

I'm planning to run.

Don't have a personal website up yet as am awaiting a .ie domain name but the general policy I'm in favour of is at www.reformmovement.ie


Facebook campaign page is here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dermot-Sheehan/201740419839327

JonJoeDali

gabhain7 wrote: »

I'm planning to run.

Don't have a personal website up yet as am awaiting a .ie domain name but the general policy I'm in favour of is at www.reformmovement.ie


Facebook campaign page is here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dermot-Sheehan/201740419839327

Do you wear a gown, tweed jacket and smoke a pipe? If so, you have my vote!

Personally I quite like the Irish political system. It works quite well and is unlike the systems in the UK where you have to be super wealthy and have big corporate-sponsored war chests to have any chance.

dermot_sheehan

Problem is it's too parochial to the extent that there is no national focus or long term planning.

It's a problem faced by other democracies of similar size such as Denmark or New Zealand.

With no safe seats and every TD having to be returned by their geographic constituency a TD who focuses on national/parliamentary issues looses out to the gombeen man with no policy but who can engage in actual or perceived clientelism.

And I do wear a gowan, but don't smoke.

Jonathan

Victor wrote: »

http://www.tcd.ie/vpcao/administration/records-awards/seanad-electoral-register.php

That page states:

Eligibility Criteria
Every person who is a citizen of Ireland and has been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) by the University of Dublin is entitled to be registered as an elector in the DU register of electors. The right to vote is not automatic; it must be claimed.

Does that mean that every student who ever attended Trinity, even those who never completed a degree is entitled to vote in the DU constituency?

I was under the impression that it was only open to those who completed degrees.

JonJoeDali

gabhain7 wrote: »

And I do wear a gowan

On that basis, I'll vote for you.

Why is "parochial" politics so bad anyway? I think it's great that you can walk into your local TDs office on a Saturday morning and have a chat.

dermot_sheehan

A person charged with legislating for the long term interests of the nation is not a social worker.

The problem with having a chat with your TD, is everyone who needs something done with the government has a "chat". National planning policies that have a rational and long term basis are ignored and we have ghost estates due to developers having a "chat".
TD's having a "chat" means they don't bother or care with holding the government to account and entire department of states are left rudderless with no accountability.


Local access to politicians is good to the individual in the sense it allows someone to have a personable contact with an otherwise hard to deal with bureaucratic nonsense that is the government. The problem is the cumulative effect leads to there being no national policy making.

blubloblu

Jonathan wrote: »

That page states:



Does that mean that every student who ever attended Trinity, even those who never completed a degree is entitled to vote in the DU constituency?

I was under the impression that it was only open to those who completed degrees.

I think that by "admitted to a degree", they mean actually received one.

Kwekubo

@Jonathan: The electorate for the constituency comprises all degree-holders of the University of Dublin (including DIT graduates between 1975 and 1998, as well as all TCD graduates), and all scholars.

@gabhain7: The name "Reform Movement" makes me think of something else entirely.

Victor

JonJoeDali wrote: »

On that basis, I'll vote for you.

Why is "parochial" politics so bad anyway? I think it's great that you can walk into your local TDs office on a Saturday morning and have a chat.

In the week tha the IMF came to town, one of my local TDs sent a letter around about potholes. :rolleyes:

blubloblu wrote: »

I think that by "admitted to a degree", they mean actually received one.

Indeed. The final act of getting your degree in TCD is the commencement ceremony, when you 'enter' the college.

dermot_sheehan

Kwekubo wrote: »

@gabhain7: The name "Reform Movement" makes me think of something else entirely.

I know, it's not quite an original name, it's called after the great reform act 1832.

In fairness the other "reform movement" have been quite quiet some time to the extent that I don't even think they're still active.

At least we didn't call ourselves the national alliance!

electrogrimey

JonJoeDali wrote: »

Why is "parochial" politics so bad anyway? I think it's great that you can walk into your local TDs office on a Saturday morning and have a chat.

Out system of government is one of the main reasons the country is in the state it's in today. People like Healy-Rae are a prime example of why. He has no interest in national matters, and will sell his (deciding) vote on huge issues like budgets etc for a guarantee that the minuscule in comparison problems of his parish are fixed.

@gabhain7 What reform are you campaigning for? Something like Fintan O'Toole's plan of a half constituent - half national government? In my eyes, the government should be elected on a solely national basis, and County Councils should be the ones to look after local issues.

Victor

electrogrimey wrote: »

@gabhain7 What reform are you campaigning for? Something like Fintan O'Toole's plan of a half constituent - half national government? In my eyes, the government should be elected on a solely national basis, and County Councils should be the ones to look after local issues.

Working on a purely national level potentially means that one clique within a party controls everyone who runs for election, creating an excessive barrier to getting elected.

Capt'n Midnight

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0208/1224289258495.html

The period for nominating bodies to put forward their candidates expires at noon on March 11th and nominations by members of the Oireachtas close at noon on March 21st.

Ballot papers will be issued to the electorate on April 7th, for completion by April 26th.

this will be the 43 elected by the vocational panels
FF have lost a lot of councillors in the local elections
and a group of independent councillors are trying to nominate some independents for the first time http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0305/independents.html

Around 50 Independent county councillors attended a meeting in Athlone this afternoon to discuss electing non-party Senators to the vocational panels in the Seanad election election for the first time.

The university constituencies of Trinity College and the National University of Ireland, nominations closed on March 3rd for those 6 places


This leaves 11 to be nominated by Enda to replace the Nazgûl :pac:

Kwekubo

Maurice Guéret is on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60tw3D0HUUM

cassiha

Hey,

I just wanted to let anyone who is interested know about this candidate who is running for the Seanad this year. Graham is a genuine person who's manifest is based on issues close to his heart. He is a recent TCD graduate and is seeing first hand the difficulites that lie ahead for recent graduates in the job market, all the issues with mortgage repayments and the emmigration that is being forced on the recent graduates and skilled workers who have suddenly found themselves surplus to requirements when large multinational companies decide to up-stakes and relocate to other countries where the work force will work for pittance. He understands the importance of making a third level education accessible to any person who wants it; in fact it was Irelands highly skilled workforce that attracted companies to this fair isle in the first place. You can contact graham on grahamquinntcd@gmail.com or view his policies on www.grahamquinn.ie if you want to know more.

Thanks!

dermot_sheehan

if graduating in 2000 makes someone a recent graduate, then what am I (class of 2005)?

LiberateTutemae

dermot_sheehan wrote: »

if graduating in 2000 makes someone a recent graduate, then what am I (class of 2005)?

Eh, you're a fledgling.:D

UTJAMS

Who can vote in the elections for the seanad?

Brainy

From the Seanad Office website:

Every person who is a citizen of Ireland and has been admitted to a degree (other than an honorary degree) by the University of Dublin is entitled to be registered as an elector in the DU register of electors. The right to vote is not automatic; it must be claimed.

Kwekubo

Seanad Electoral Act, 1937:

"Every person who is a citizen of Ireland and has received a degree (other than an honorary degree) in the University of Dublin or has obtained a foundation scholarship in that University or, if a woman, has obtained a non-foundation scholarship in the said University and (in any case) has attained the age of twenty-one years shall be entitled to be registered as an elector in the register of electors for the Dublin University constituency."

Capt'n Midnight

UTJAMS wrote: »

Who can vote in the elections for the seanad?

The 60 are chosen thusly
11 by Enda ( with a proportion to Labour )
3 by DU (TCD)
3 by NUI (UCD/UCG/UCC/Maynooth)
43 by TD's , Senators, county councils and city councils.

0 - DCU / UL / RTC's / Trade unions / Everyone else



The Seanad has 60 members. 11 members are nominated by the Taoiseach , 6 are elected by university graduates and 43 in Seanad panel elections.




Seanad panel elections
* Cultural and educational panel - 5 members including at least 2 from each sub-panel
* Agricultural panel - 11 members including at least 4 from each sub-panel
* Labour panel - 11 members including at least 4 from each sub-panel
* Industrial and Commercial panel - 9 members including at least 3 from each sub-panel
* Administrative panel - 7 members including at least 3 from each sub-panel.

On the day of the poll, the returning officer sends each voter five ballot papers by registered post - one for each panel. The ballot papers will show the names of the candidates in alphabetical order, their addresses and descriptions and the sub-panel they were nominated to.

If the candidates have a political affiliation, this is not mentioned on the ballot paper.


Only certain people can vote in Seanad panel elections. They must be

* Members of Dáil Eireann
* Members of the outgoing Seanad or
* Members of county councils and city councils.