Category Archives: seanad reform

Free advice to Seanad Candidates (NUI/TCD)

So you’ve gotten yourself nominated for the Seanad for either the NUI or TCD panels. Good for you! Now the bad news. You won’t get much of a chance to build your profile during the campaign itself. The media don’t … Continue reading

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Seanad Reform: too little, too late, too narrow?

So the reports are that the government will consider allowing the Seanad Reform Bill 2013 to go through to committee stage this afternoon. I think we’ve gone beyond the point of tinkering with the Seanad within the constraints of the … Continue reading

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Saving the Seanad, not bloody likely

Once again the nation was treated this week to the sights and sounds of the returning Seanad. Not that most of the population had noticed that it had been away. Various people, most of them senators of long standing, used … Continue reading

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Announcement of candidacy for NUI Seanad

I am running once more for Seanad Éireann on the NUI panel, this post will tell you a bit about me and why I’m running*. I’m an unmarried** 43 year old engineer. I’m a practical person who believes that politics matters most when … Continue reading

Posted in GE11, nui seanad 2011, nuim, Seanad, seanad eireann, seanad reform | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Alternatives to lists and quotas to reduce clientelism and offer the electorate more diverse voting options

Image via Wikipedia Long form version of a post I have over on Political Reform. Discussion about political change, and in particular where electoral reform is concerned, tends to start by identifying a problem by examining its symptoms and then … Continue reading

Posted in 2010, Seanad, seanad eireann, seanad reform | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Ending free postage for Oireachtas Candidates

Image via Wikipedia There was a piece in the Irish Times yesterday about ending or modifying the practice of paying for free postage for candidates. I assisted a TD in 2007 by creating  some filter software on the electoral register … Continue reading

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An open letter on Seanad Reform

The proposal that Fine Gael policy should be to abolish the Seanad after the next election as announced by the party leader Enda Kenny leaves me in two minds. As a means to put down a marker to the government … Continue reading

Posted in enda kenny, fine gael, Seanad, seanad eireann, seanad reform | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

PfG – is it a mandate to gerrymander the next Oireachtas?

Image via Wikipedia The Program for Government: a possible mandate for a gerrymander? An interesting constitutional problem, thrown up by the outcome of the local elections, which has not as yet been covered in the mainstream media is that no … Continue reading

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Seanad Reform – After 30 years can we have our votes now?

It has been 12 months since this announcement and we’ve seen no action taken to advance the reform of the Seanad. In particular the rather straightforward reform of the university panels to give effect to the Seventh Amendment to the … Continue reading

Posted in can we have our votes now, facebook, seanad eireann, seanad reform | 4 Comments

Commitment to extend Seanad voting rights should be acted on without further delay

NUI Seanad Candidate, Daniel Sullivan, has called on the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley to explain why he has still not taken a single step towards fulfilling his commitment to extend voting rights to all third level graduates. (I … Continue reading

Posted in environment, john gormley, seanad eireann, seanad reform | 2 Comments