2020_Irish_Seanad_election

2020 Seanad election

2020 Seanad election

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An indirect election to the 26th Seanad took place after the 2020 Irish general election, with postal ballots due on 30 and 31 March. Seanad Éireann is the upper house of the Oireachtas, with Dáil Éireann as the lower house of representatives. The election was held for 49 of the 60 seats in the Seanad: 43 are elected for five vocational panels, and six are elected in two university constituencies. The remaining 11 senators are nominated by the newly elected Taoiseach when the Dáil reconvenes after the general election.

Quick Facts 60 members of the Seanad Éireann 30 seats needed for a majority, First party ...

Background

The Constitution of Ireland provides that a Seanad election must take place within 90 days of the dissolution of the Dáil Éireann. As the Dáil was dissolved on 14 January, the latest day the election could take place is 13 April 2020.[2] On 21 January 2020, the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government signed an order for the Seanad elections, providing 30 March as the deadline for ballots for the vocational panels and 31 March as the deadline for ballots in the university constituencies.[1]

On 8 February 2020, the 33rd Dáil was elected in the general election. The Fine Gael-led government, led by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was defeated, with Sinn Féin taking the most first preference votes, and Fianna Fáil taking the most seats. The Sinn Féin victory came as a surprise and an upset, as it ended the two-party rule of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil that had existed for many decades,[3][4] and polls did not show Sinn Féin winning until the election was called. Sinn Féin won 37 seats, Fianna Fáil won 38, and Fine Gael won 35.[5]

Electoral system

Of the forty-nine elected seats, three are elected from the university constituency of the National University and three are elected from the university constituency of Dublin University (Trinity College Dublin).[6]

Forty-three are elected by an electorate of elected politicians, consisting of members of the 33rd Dáil, members of the 25th Seanad and city and county councillors, who each have five ballots for vocational panels.[7][8] The Seanad Returning Officer maintains a list of qualified nominating bodies for each panel.[9] 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.[10] 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]

Electors for the Panels elect:[12]

  • 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).

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. 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 Dáil elections. The quota for election is given as .[lower-alpha 1]

The 11 nominated members can only be appointed by the Taoiseach who is appointed next after the reassembly of Dáil Éireann. They are usually appointed after the Seanad election, but if a Taoiseach has not been appointed at stage, they will not be appointed until then.

Members of the outgoing Seanad not seeking election

Election process

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Impact of coronavirus

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, changes to the usual arrangements for the Vocational Panel elections were made to reduce the risk of transmission. The clerk and deputy clerk of the Dáil and Seanad refused to witness Oireachtas members' ballots, advising them to use the local government chief executive or Garda (police) superintendent for this purpose.[19] The Seanad clerk, as returning officer, also requested that counting agents not be present at the count centre in Dublin Castle.[20] Similar appeals were made regarding the NUI count in the RDS and the Dublin University count in the university's Examination Hall.[21]

Results

National University of Ireland

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Dublin University

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    Administrative Panel

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      Agricultural Panel

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        Cultural and Educational Panel

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          Industrial and Commercial Panel

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            Labour Panel

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              References

              Footnotes

              1. To facilitate transfer of fractional surpluses, each valid ballot paper is given a value of 1,000.[26]
              2. One nominated candidate was excluded and one extra candidate was added by the Taoiseach at this stage.[17]

              Citations

              1. "Seanad Éireann General Election". Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
              2. "General Election 2020 Results". RTÉ News. 9 February 2020. Archived from the original on 23 January 2020.
              3. Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937 (No. 30 of 1937). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 March 2020.
              4. Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1954 (No. 1 of 1954). Enacted on 22 February 1954. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 March 2020.
              5. Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947 (No. 42 of 1947). Enacted on 19 December 1947. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 2 March 2020.
              6. "Elections to 26th Seanad (2020): Lists of Officially Nominated Candidates". Irish Elections: Geography, Facts and Analyses. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
              7. 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.
              8. 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.
              9. "Business of Seanad: Motion – Seanad Éireann (25th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 21 January 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
              10. Gelston Tims, Aisling. "Seanad Éireann General Election". merrionstreet.ie. Retrieved 30 March 2020.; O'Halloran, Marie. "New FG Senator expected to be appointed for few weeks before Seanad election". The Irish Times.
              11. "Seanad (University Members) General Election Order 2020" (PDF). 21 January 2020. Retrieved 30 March 2020.; "Seanad Elections 2020". TCD. Retrieved 30 March 2020.; "Seanad Éireann Election 2020 Key Dates". NUI. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
              12. "Seanad general election 2020". Houses of the Oireachtas. 6 February 2020.
              13. O'Halloran, Marie (10 March 2020). "FG's Mary Seery Kearney added to ticket to contest Seanad election". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
              14. Ryan, Philip (18 March 2020). "TDs told they can't vote in Leinster House for Seanad election over COVID-19 fears". Irish Independent. Retrieved 30 March 2020.; O'Halloran, Marie (19 March 2020). "Coronavirus: Seanad election procedures changed over concerns". The Irish Times. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
              15. Finn, Christina (30 March 2020). "Counting in Seanad election to begin today — but access to count venue will be restricted". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
              16. O'Halloran, Marie (31 March 2020). "Seanad elections: Fate of Green's Saoirse McHugh rests on transfers". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
              17. "Seanad Éireann Election 2020 Key Dates". nui.ie. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
              18. "Seanad Éireann Electoral Process" (PDF). Oireachtas. February 2020. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
              19. Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Act 1947, Rule 4, 2nd Sch. (No. 42 of 1947, 2nd Sch.). Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book on 31 March 2020.

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