The Constitution of Ireland provides that a Seanad election must take place within 90 days of the dissolution of the Dáil Éireann. The 33rd Dáil was dissolved on 8 November 2024.[1] On 15 November 2024, the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O'Brien, signed an order for the Seanad elections, providing 30 January as the deadline for ballots for the vocational panels and 29 January as the deadline for ballots in the university constituencies.[2][3][4]
There are 60 seats in the Seanad, each elected via one of three methods: direct election via voters who are university graduates, indirect election via a body of other previously elected politicians, or appointment by the Taoiseach.
All votes are cast by postal ballot, and are counted using the single transferable vote. Under this system, voters can rank candidates in order of their preference (1 as their first preference, 2 for second preference, and so on). In counting votes for the vocational panels, ballots are initially given a value of 1,000 to allow calculation of quotas where all ballots are distributed in the case of a surplus, rather than taking a representative sample as is done in counting votes for the university constituencies or Dáil elections. The quota for election is given as:
Six senators are directly elected from two university constituencies: three from the National University constituency and three from the Dublin University (Trinity College Dublin) constituency.[5] This will be the last general election from these constituencies. Under the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024, at the next Seanad general election held after 21 March 2025, they will be substituted by a new six-seat Higher Education constituency.[6] This legislation was enacted in response to the judgment of the Supreme Court in Heneghan v Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government (2023).
Forty-three senators are indirectly elected by an electorate of elected politicians, consisting of members of the incoming 34th Dáil, members of the outgoing 26th Seanad, and incumbent city and county councillors, who have ballots for each of the five vocational panels.[7][8] There are 1,172 electors for the election of panel members.[9] The Seanad returning officer maintains a list of qualified nominating bodies for each panel.[10] Candidates may be nominated by nominating bodies (outside sub-panel) or by members of the Oireachtas (inside sub-panel). In each vocational panel, there is a minimum number who must be elected from either the inside or the outside sub-panel. If the number of candidates nominated for each sub-panel does not exceed by two the maximum number which may be elected from that sub-panel, the Taoiseach shall nominate candidates to fill the deficiency.[11]
Seven seats from the Administrative Panel, with a minimum of three from inside and outside sub-panels: Public administration and social services (including the voluntary sector).
Eleven seats from the Agricultural Panel, with a minimum of four: Agriculture and the fisheries.
Five seats from the Cultural and Educational Panel, with a minimum of two: Education, the arts, the Irish language and Irish culture and literature.
Nine seats from the Industrial and Commercial Panel, with a minimum of three: Industry and commerce (including engineering and architecture).
Eleven seats from the Labour Panel, with a minimum of four: Labour (organised or otherwise).
^Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Act 2024, s. 6: Constituency and electors (No. 40 of 2024, s. 6). Enacted on 29 October 2024. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
^Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947, s. 37: Nominations by the Taoiseach to complete provisional sub-panels (No. 42 of 1947, s. 37). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 31 March 2020.
^Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947, s. 52: Allocation of members amongst the panels (No. 42 of 1947, s. 52). Enacted on 19 December 1947. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 7 March 2020.
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