Sinn Féin backs Sinnott in Seanad elections

SINN Féin last night announced it will support disabled rights campaigner, Kathy Sinnott, in the Seanad elections which are now in their final week.

The party's Dáil leader, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, said it would be advising its five TDs and various councillors to back the independent candidate who lost a Dáil seat by six votes after a marathon count in Cork South Central. The party has 23 votes and has not fielded any candidates for the 43 seats of the 60 to be filled in the election process which concludes next week.

"Kathy Sinnott has taken a stand in support for education rights for people with disabilities. The needs and wishes of people with disabilities have not been adequately addressed," Mr Ó Caoláin said.

Ms Sinnott was nominated by independent TDs, Gerry Cowley of Mayo, Marian Harkin of Sligo-Leitrim, Seamus Healy of Tipperary South, and Finnian McGrath of Dublin North Central. She was nominated on the Labour panel but her qualification for this sector was challenged before being cleared by a High Court judge.

A total of 900 city and county councillors, along with 166 TDs and the 60 outgoing Senators vote for the 43 Senators elected on five panels. Six university Senators, three from Trinity College Dublin and three from National University of Ireland, are elected by graduates of those institutions.

The final 11 members will be nominated by the Taoiseach, probably late next week. These are expected to include four PD Senators, former minister, Mary O'Rourke, and Senator Maurice Hayes, as an informal representative of Northern Ireland.