All graduates of Irish higher education institutions will be entitled to vote for a six-person Seanad panel under legislation being brought to the Cabinet today and expected to be tabled in the Dáil in the coming weeks.
Currently, three senators are elected by graduates of Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and another three by National University of Ireland (NUI) graduates, and reform has long been promised by successive governments.
It’s likely the changes will not come into effect until 2030, as the next general election is expected before the end of this year, so the next Seanad will likely be the last to have Trinity and NUI panels elected by graduates from those institutions.
Senator Gerard Craughwell said he was delighted that reform was coming. “Exclusive Seanad voting rights for TCD and NUI graduates to be scrapped. I am delighted that I played a tiny part in this reform by providing a supporting statement for the high court action taken by Tomás Heneghan. It is now for the government to deliver on the other reforms promised,”he said.
Exclusive Seanad voting rights for TCD and NUI graduates to be scrapped. I am delighted that I played a tiny part in this reform by providing a supporting statement for the high court action taken by Tomás Heneghan. It is now for the government to deliver on the other reforms…
— Senator G Craughwell (@GCraughwell) September 10, 2024
Others were critical of the length of time it took for reform to happen. Lecturer in Social Policy, Nat O’Connor, said: “This is one of the worst cases of ignoring democracy. The people voted in 1979 (!) to extend Seanad votes to all graduates equally. But it took a Supreme Court ruling to force government action, which won’t take effect until 2030, 51 years later!”.
This is one of the worst cases of ignoring democracy. The people voted in 1979 (!) to extend Seanad votes to all graduates equally. But it took a Supreme Court ruling to force government action, which won’t take effect until 2030, 51 years later!https://t.co/S4Gi4HXIhd
— Nat O'Connor (@natpolicy) September 10, 2024
Some also questioned what they saw as inherent elitism in the system to elect members of the Seanad.
New law to allow all 3rd level graduates to vote in Seanad elections is welcome, but why not a constituency for qualified tradespeople?
— Sheila Deegan (@deegandeegan111) September 10, 2024
“New law to allow all 3rd level graduates to vote in Seanad elections is welcome, but why not a constituency for qualified tradespeople?” one woman asked on X.
A Supreme Court Judgment in May 2023 obliged the Oireachtas to remedy the provisions of the 1937 Seanad Electoral Act, which the court found unconstitutional.
The court found that Article 18.4.2 of the Constitution, brought in after a referendum in 1979, mandated the Oireachtas to enact legislation to include the electorates of other institutions of higher education as well as NUI or TCD.
But the court found such legislation was never enacted, meaning graduates of institutions other than TCD and NUI have no entitlement to vote for candidates on the university panel, RTE reported.