Speculation mounts over Seanad nominations

LISA CHAMBERS A Fianna FΡil face for the future

Speculation mounts over Seanad nominations


Anton McNulty

With the General Election firmly out of the way and Enda Kenny due to  become the new Taoiseach tomorrow,  Wednesday, speculation has now centred on who may be elected to Seanad Éireann.
At present there are two Mayo people sitting in the Seanad - John Carty of Fianna FΡil and Paddy Burke of Fine Gael - but Senator Carty will not be putting his name forward for the new term. As Taoiseach, Enda Kenny will be able to nominate eleven members to the Seanad while the remaining 49 seats are contested in a general election.
Some 43 of those seats are filled by way of an election, with members of the DΡil, the outgoing Seanad, and members of city and county councils qualified to vote. The remaining six seats are returned from two panels with the graduates of the National University of Ireland returning three and the other three are elected by graduates of Trinity College Dublin.
With the closing date for the University members now expired, focus in Mayo has switched to who will put their name forward for election for the Seanad and if Enda Kenny will nominate any Mayo people for the Seanad.
In Mayo County Council, it is expected that some councillors will put their name forward for election with speculation that Cllr Jarlath Munnelly of Fine Gael may put his name forward for election. At yesterday’s (Monday) meeting of Mayo County Council, Cllr Joe Mellett hinted that some councillors would seek a nomination for the Seanad and wished them the best of luck if they put their name forward.
The period for nominating bodies to put forward their nominees is to expire at noon on Friday, March 11 while Oireachtas members will have until Monday, March 21 to put forward their nominees for the Seanad.
With Fine Gael members now dominating the DΡil as well as the county and town councils across the State, their members will have a greater chance of being elected.
Fianna FΡil are expected to ask their senior members of the Seanad not to seek re-election and to make room for younger members in order to give them a national profile in a bid to rebuild the party.
The Claremorris and the Castlebar Town Cumman’s have requested Fianna FΡil Headquarters to consider putting Lisa Chambers forward for a nomination. She told The Mayo News that she would be honoured if she is asked to go forward for the Seanad elections but stressed that at the moment it is all speculation.
“Of course I would be interested in it and if I was asked I would be honoured to run but it is all speculation at the moment. The possibility of being in the Seanad would be an unbelievable privilege. At the moment a lot of names have been thrown around and I don’t know any more,” she said.