Counting of Seanad votes to begin today

Published: Mon 30 Mar 2020, 1:01 PM

Last updated: Mon 30 Mar 2020, 2:11 PM

Ann Casey & John Donohoe

Former Fianna Fail TD for Meath West, Shane Cassells, will know this week whether or not he will be making a return to Leinster House.

Cassells is running for a seat in the Seanad, with counting of votes beginning today.

There are four Meath candidates running in the Seanad elections - Cllr Sharon Keogan of Duleek, an independent member of Meath County Council and Cllr Sharon Tolan (Fine Gael) of Bettystown have been nominated to contest the Industrial and Commercial panel, while Labour's Cllr Annie Hoey, Baemore, Drogheda has been nominated to contest the Agricultural panel.
Cassells, who lost his Dáil seat in the General Election, will contest the Labour panel.
City and county councillors, members of the new Dáil and members of the outgoing Seanad are the electorate in these elections.
Among the others contesting the elections are Dominic Hannigan, Drogheda, former councillor and Labour TD for Meath East who is running for the Agricultural panel, as is Fianna Fail's Cllr Shane P O'Reilly of Mullagh.
Fine Gael's Senator Joe O'Reilly, Baileboro is seeking re election to the Labour Panel.
Brendan Price, Garristown, CEO of the Irish Seal Sanctuary is seeking election to the NUI panel.
There are 60 seats to be filled in the Seanad - the upper house of the Oireachtas - and 43 of these will be elected from panels for specified vocational interests. Three senators each will be elected to the NUI and Trinity panels and 11 members of the Seanad will be nominated by the new Taoiseach.
There are five different vocational interest panels, the Cultural and Educational, the Agricultural panel, the Labour panel, the Industrial and Commercial Panel and the Administrative Panel. The electorate for these panels are county councillors, members of the new Dáil and members of the outgoing Seanad.
Graduates of the National University of Ireland will elect three senators while Trinity College graduates will also elect three senators.

Results and regular updates of voting from the Seanad Éireann general election count centre will be published across Houses of the Oireachtas media platforms this week.
Ballot boxes for Seanad Éireann’s 43 vocational panel seats will be opened at the count centre at the Printworks, Dublin Castle at noon today. Counting of votes is expected to continue until Friday 3rd April.

Counting Schedule

Opening of ballot boxes Monday 30 March 12 noon

Cultural & Educational panel Monday 30 March 4pm

Agricultural panel Tuesday 31 March 4pm

Labour panel Wednesday 1 April 2.30pm

Industrial & Commercial panel Thursday 2 April 9.30am

Administrative panel Friday 3 April 11.30am

Social media coverage and regular updates from the count centre will be provided on the following platforms from Monday afternoon:

https://twitter.com/OireachtasNews

https://www.facebook.com/OireachtasNews/

https://www.instagram.com/oireachtas_news/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/housesoftheoireachtas