Bacik and Mullen poised to battle it out in Seanad

DEVOUT liberal Ivana Bacik and stanch conservative Ronan Mullen were last night poised to go head to head when the Seanad count resumes.

Trinity College’ Dublin’s Reid professor of law Ivana Bacik was elected on the eighth count with a comfortable lead of 2,402 votes on her nearest rival Dr Maurice Gueret.

She joins sitting senators David Norris and Shane Ross who were both elected to the three-seat TCD panel on Tuesday.

Last night, the newly elected senator who ran unsuccessfully in the Seanad elections in 1997 and 2002 said she looked forward to pursuing a liberal agenda.

Listing campaign issues such as recognising gay partnerships, legalising abortion and introducing improved conditions for fathers at work through paid paternity leave, she said she would use draft private members’ bills to further her causes.

Asked about the possibility of debating issues with Mr Mullen, who was edging towards the second seat on the NUI panel last night, Ms Bacik said they had already debated on several occasions and had not always “seen eye to eye”.

Late evening indications from the NUI count showed sitting senator Joe O’Toole first in the field, followed by Mr Mullen and Feargal Quinn. However, the position of Mr Mullen and Mr Quinn was being strongly challenged by sitting Senator Brendan Ryan and Valerie Bresnihan. By the 15th count, Mr Mullen had amassed 5,622 through significant transfers and was on course to unseat Labour’s sitting senator Mr Ryan.

In Leinster House, where counting in the Labour panel and Industrial and Commercial Panel reached conclusion, there were relatively few surprises except for the elimination of former TD and junior minister Ivor Callely. The former Dublin North TD was eliminated on the 13th count.

On the 11-seat Labour panel, Fianna Fáil secured five seats, followed by Fine Gael with four. Labour also took two seats with the re-election of Cork’s Michael McCarthy. The Industrial and Commercial Panel delivered an overall majority for FF. However, it was Labour’s Dominic Hannigan who topped the poll and was deemed elected on the first count.