Seanad Éireann Election (University seats)

Capt'n Midnight

http://www.nui.ie/news/2011/SE2011candidates.asp


At the close of nominations today, the Returning Officer, Dr Maurice Manning, Chancellor of NUI declared the following candidates to be properly nominated to contest the Seanad Éireann Election in the NUI constituency:

CANNING, Thomas Paul Gabriel, Civil Engineer
COWLEY, Matthias Walter, Teacher
COYLE, James, Chartered Accountant
CROWN, John, Consultant Doctor
DOORLEY, James, Deputy CEO
HEALY, Paddy, Former President, Teachers Union of Ireland
KELLEHER, Declan, Principal Teacher
KENNEDY, John Paul Alexander, Software Engineer
KEOGH, Helen, Chief Executive World Vision Ireland, Chairperson of Dóchas
LANGAN, Mick, Tourism Promoter, Guide and Photographer
LYNAM, Paul, Public Representative
MCCURTIN, David Thomas , Primary School Teacher
MOLLOY, Michael Sean “Mick”, Medical Doctor
MOONEY, Peter, Freelance Radio Producer
MULLEN, Rónán, Senator and Lecturer
Ó BROIN, Eoin, Policy Analyst
O BROLCHÁIN, Niall, Senator
Ó CADHLA, Diarmaid Seán, Fear Gnó
O’CONNELL, Donncha, Lecturer
O’CONNOR, Regina Mary, Political and Legal Advisor, European Parliament
O’DONNELL, Francis Martin, Diplomat, Retired UN Representative
O’DONOGHUE, James, Scientist
O’SHEA FARREN, Linda, Solicitor, Disability Rights Advocate and Member-Nominated Independent Director of EBS
O’SULLIVAN, Bernadine, Teacher and Pensions Campaigner
PRICE, Brendan Mary, Biologist, Director, Irish Seal Sanctuary
QUINN, Feargal, Senator
SULLIVAN, Daniel Kevin, Software Professional

The election will be held by postal ballot. Ballot papers will be despatched to almost 100,000 electors on the NUI Register from 21 March 2011, and the Close of Poll is on 27 April 2011 at 11:00am. The election count will take place in the Serpentine Hall, RDS.

PomBear

Hoping Eoin Ó Broin gets in!

Lockstep

I'm hoping for Donncha O'Connell. Great guy.

drzhivago

Mick molloy all the way

kingkane

Obviously I would be urging people to vote for Daniel Sullivan but there again it is kind of obvious why I'd say that I suppose.

Ruire

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

O BROLCHÁIN, Niall, Senator

Dear Mr Broccoli, please get the message from the past few local and general elections. You've no hope. Much love, Ruire.

johnmcdnl

well lets just hope the last Seanad ever will do a half decent job..

LuckyLloyd

Hello, wondering if anybody would know the answer to this off hand.

I just got a bunch of electioneering material through my door for the NUI constituency (I am a degree holder from UCD). I don't remember claiming my vote previously, but would it be reasonable to assume that I would not be sent canvassing material if I wasn't on the register?

Or to put my question more simply: do candidates take their mailing list from the published register?

I went to the website to check the register, but apparently you have to physically walk into the NUI offices to view it.

deanh

I think you are automatically registered on graduation. That is why election material and voting papers are sent to the home address you had on graduation.

Lockstep

The NUI and Trinity Panels seem to be the Senators who actually do a semi-decent job, rather than being failed Teachtaí Dála or political appointees. Having them as sort of public intellectuals or with a role in constitutional opinions and oversights seems the best role for the Seanad.

Essexboy

If you think these guys are bad, look at the Agricultural Panel where a man who spent 2 years in jail for defrauding the Department of Agriculture is running.

Michael Clarke from West Sligo was nominated by the ICSA.

LuckyLloyd

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Hello, wondering if anybody would know the answer to this off hand.

I just got a bunch of electioneering material through my door for the NUI constituency (I am a degree holder from UCD). I don't remember claiming my vote previously, but would it be reasonable to assume that I would not be sent canvassing material if I wasn't on the register?

Or to put my question more simply: do candidates take their mailing list from the published register?

I went to the website to check the register, but apparently you have to physically walk into the NUI offices to view it.

You will get your ballot paper by registered post iirc.
If you don't sign for it,you won't get it.

belacqua_

The publicity leaflets are pouring through the letterbox daily now. With Shane Ross elected to the Dáil and David Norris announcing his intention to run for President, Ivana is the only recognisable face running for one of the University of Dublin seats. Dr. Maurice Guéret (despite being on an unpopular save the Senate ticket) is sure to be elected this time around, having come in fourth in previous elections -- who's going to pick up the third seat?

Other candidates include:

Dermot Frost
Maeve Cox
And some guy who was a teacher in Tallaght, can't remember his name.
(As of yet I've received no material from Jeffrey Dudgeon)

Are there any notable NUI candidates seeking election?

GSF

Failed politicos seem to be creeping into the university panels. I see Fiona O'Malley and that Bacik woman on the TCD panel and the rejected green on the NUI panel. Is this a new trend?

dermot_sheehan

Marc Coleman is trying to rewrite history, compare his website www.marccoleman.ie to his report he did for Daft.ie in 2006

http://www.daft.ie/report/marc-coleman

And of course I'm one of the nobodies running.

kingkane

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Hello, wondering if anybody would know the answer to this off hand.

I just got a bunch of electioneering material through my door for the NUI constituency (I am a degree holder from UCD). I don't remember claiming my vote previously, but would it be reasonable to assume that I would not be sent canvassing material if I wasn't on the register?

Or to put my question more simply: do candidates take their mailing list from the published register?

I went to the website to check the register, but apparently you have to physically walk into the NUI offices to view it.

You're not placed on the register automatically, at some stage you would have had to fill out a form or tick a box. If you are receiving the election bumpf then this means you are on the register. The addressing of the leaflets is done by An Post based on the mailing list that the NUI provide them with. Hope that is of some assistance.

kingkane

belacqua_ wrote: »

The publicity leaflets are pouring through the letterbox daily now. With Shane Ross elected to the Dáil and David Norris announcing his intention to run for President, Ivana is the only recognisable face running for one of the University of Dublin seats. Dr. Maurice Guéret (despite being on an unpopular save the Senate ticket) is sure to be elected this time around, having come in fourth in previous elections -- who's going to pick up the third seat?

Other candidates include:

Dermot Frost
Maeve Cox
And some guy who was a teacher in Tallaght, can't remember his name.
(As of yet I've received no material from Jeffrey Dudgeon)

Are there any notable NUI candidates seeking election?

David Norris is running again, as well as running for a Presidential nomination.

baalthor

belacqua_ wrote: »

The publicity leaflets are pouring through the letterbox daily now. With Shane Ross elected to the Dáil and David Norris announcing his intention to run for President, Ivana is the only recognisable face running for one of the University of Dublin seats.

Are there any notable NUI candidates?

Would have voted for John Crown but was told I have been removed from the register when I applied to change my address :-(

Boulevardier

Gueret is not at all sure to be elected, and this is so not least because of his known FF connections.

I recommend TCD voters to consider voting for Robin Hanan. He believes there is a real future role for the seanad, and he stands for that most unfashionable thing, social justice.

I also know Dermot Frost. A genuinely nice guy.

ISAW

Boulevardier wrote: »

Gueret is not at all sure to be elected, and this is so not least because of his known FF connections.

I recommend TCD voters to consider voting for Robin Hanan. He believes there is a real future role for the seanad, and he stands for that most unfashionable thing, social justice.

I also know Dermot Frost. A genuinely nice guy.

This is a rather telling comment.
Basically you are saying "I vote for people I know or I like"
You are not saying "vote for people who are not part of the established power system" or "go and look for someone different and vote for them"

So basically you support the crony and client system do you? Can you tell us anything about any other candidate that you like? Or haven't you bothered to look?

I don't make the above comments in a personal way I'm just trying to point out how the system works against people who were not involved with the "in" group.

Boulevardier

Oh God no. I would not vote for my own mother if I did not agree with her views.

I accept your criticism that I should not have implied you should vote for anyone just because they are nice.

Happily, both the candidates I mentioned have views I tend to agree with.

barfizz

Did anyone else not get their ballot paper?

drzhivago

barfizz wrote: »

Did anyone else not get their ballot paper?

only got it this week
postman said delay was because they did not have all the election material sent out and had to delay the ballots until that stuff was sent

If you havent got it yet you should ring your University (NUI or TCD) and find out if returned and give them a new address

dermot_sheehan

for TCD you can click on
http://www.tcd.ie/vpcao/administration/records-awards/alumni-seanad-update-details-form.php

to update your records.


They will re-issue ballots which have been returned by An Post until this Tuesday the 18th.

Ballots must be returned to the returning officer so as to arrive before 11am on April 27th

imme

dermot_sheehan wrote: »

Marc Coleman is trying to rewrite history, compare his website www.marccoleman.ie to his report he did for Daft.ie in 2006

http://www.daft.ie/report/marc-coleman

And of course I'm one of the nobodies running.

Coleman seems to move jobs more often than Richard Curran

the groutch

saw a poster for Paul Lynham, effectively a campaign poster hidden in the guise of a Public Meeting notice.

had to laugh at the fact that the meeting was supposed to be about reform, when the most talked about political reform of recent month has been the potential abolition of the Seanad.

oh the irony!

RandolphEsq

I'll be able to vote in the next N.U.I. election and there will be two criteria I will use to filter down the candidates;

1) Candidates with pretentious Gaeilge names

2) Those not in favour of abolishing the Seanad

PomBear

RandolphEsq wrote: »

I'll be able to vote in the next N.U.I. election and there will be two criteria I will use to filter down the candidates;

1) Candidates with pretentious Gaeilge names

Bit unfair, most were born with those names, bit impossible to be pretentious if that's the case.

Also, if this is a deciding factor, you really shouldn't have a vote if you're not going to use it wisely

2) Those not in favour of abolishing the Seanad

There are other options to it's abolition, in fact, it should b the last option if it's under the banner of political reform, I talked to many of the NUI candidates a few weeks back and they had some great ideas to reform.

Carolyyn

I'm giving Prof. John Crown my No. 1 because he such an advocate for cancer patients and one of the genuinely good guys in the money driven health service. Mind you I think he's mad running for the Seanad.

I admire Feargal Quinn and his energy, drive and positivity are important assets to brint to public life.

Mixed views on Ronan Mullen, don't agree with lots of things, but he has been a genuine advocate against human trafficing of women into the sex industry in this country.

No time for O'Brolchain, I'd say I know more about politics than him and the chancer has been rejected by Galway people in the local and national elections and only got into the Seanad last time on a free pass from his party.

Any advice on the other candidates, I don't want to waste my preferences !

Lockstep

I'd reccomend Donncha O'Connell for a preference: former head of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and an expert on Constitutional Law and human rights. He taught me constitutional law a few years ago and he was excellent, probably one of the most engaging and passionate lecturers I've had, he was one of the only ones who wanted us to engage with the issues rather than just sit there and be talked to. Given the current state of the Constitution, having an expert on constitutional affairs would be a handy person to have. The Constitution is almost certainly either going to be amended or replaced so I'd be mad keen on seeing a genuine legal expert in.
You can have a gander at his biography here

Given the current state of the Seanad, the best possible role is for public intellectuals/experts. People like Quinn to promote business and O'Connell to promote progressive law reform would be the best role for it, although I prefer those who are also in favour of Seanad reform.

Duffy the Vampire Slayer

Carolyyn wrote: »

Mixed views on Ronan Mullen, don't agree with lots of things, but he has been a genuine advocate against human trafficing of women into the sex industry in this country.

He wants to combat it in the stupidest possible way however. Instead of legalizing and regulating the prostitution industry he wishes to attach further criminal laws to it.

RandolphEsq

PomBear wrote: »

Bit unfair, most were born with those names, bit impossible to be pretentious if that's the case.

Also, if this is a deciding factor, you really shouldn't have a vote if you're not going to use it wisely

Yes I would agree, democracy just doesn't work

PomBear

RandolphEsq wrote: »

Yes I would agree, democracy just doesn't work

Actually determining Senators by allowing only those that have NUI degree is not democracy. Also, democracy has as many responsibilities as it does rights. One of these responsibilities is using your vote wisely.

This means your vote is wasted if you ignore a perfectly good candidate on account of their name.

My advice to people is, before you vote, if you cannot account your reasons to vote/not to vote for someone in at minimum 5 sentences, you should reconsider your vote.

But hey, I don't need to teach pro-Israeli's about democracy:pac:

RandolphEsq

PomBear wrote: »

Actually determining Senators by allowing only those that have NUI degree is not democracy. Also, democracy has as many responsibilities as it does rights. One of these responsibilities is using your vote wisely.

This means your vote is wasted if you ignore a perfectly good candidate on account of their name.

My advice to people is, before you vote, if you cannot account your reasons to vote/not to vote for someone in at minimum 5 sentences, you should reconsider your vote.

But hey, I don't need to teach pro-Israeli's about democracy:pac:

That advice is all well and good but people do not follow it. Some people should be given more votes from others. There needs to be screening. "Some are more equal than others" etc.

Israel has the best mix of funky hairstyles and hygenic penii

PomBear

RandolphEsq wrote: »

That advice is all well and good but people do not follow it. Some people should be given more votes from others. There needs to be screening. "Some are more equal than others" etc.

Israel has the best mix of funky hairstyles and hygenic penii

I'm well aware people don't follow it but in my opinion, a vote not well thought out is a vote wasted....

Sarn

Too late at this stage, but I've just realised that I was somehow removed from the register. With two degrees from UCD and having received ballot papers in previous elections, that's fairly poor. My fault for not following up on it, but still poor practice.

RandolphEsq

PomBear wrote: »

I'm well aware people don't follow it but in my opinion, a vote not well thought out is a vote wasted....

So some should get more votes than others i.e. all people are equal, but some are more equal than others? Where does that leave you and your views then?

PomBear

RandolphEsq wrote: »

So some should get more votes than others i.e. all people are equal, but some are more equal than others? Where does that leave you and your views then?

No, it means you have a responsibility to use your vote wisely and vote/not vote for people for geniune reasons

Liam Byrne

Whatever about the future of the Seanad, the fact that there is still no university input from 2 of the country's universities makes this "election" completely invalid and undemocratic.

Aside from that, does anyone know what Ogra-or-otherwise allegiences the above have to any political parties ?

Stabshauptmann

Do we have the results yet?!

Nothing on http://electionsireland.org/

imme

Stabshauptmann wrote: »

Do we have the results yet?!

Nothing on http://electionsireland.org/

see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Members_of_the_24th_Seanad