Mixed success for Martin as Seanad count continues

FIANNA Fáil leader Micheál Martin has failed to get a number of his preferred candidates elected to the Seanad.

With two days of counting complete, there has been mixed success for his strategy to purge the old guard in favour of younger Dáil hopefuls.

Fianna Fáil has had considerable success with five of its outgoing senators so far retaining their seats in what could be the last Seanad election. However, former minister of state Sean Connick and 27-year-old James Carroll, who became a member of the Seanad following the death of Tony Kett in 2009, failed to get elected, despite being on Mr Martin’s list of 10 preferred candidates. Jennifer Murnane O’Connor also lost out in the Labour Panel on the seventh count. But the bulk of her second preferences loyally went to fellow Martin-favourite, and former TD Darragh O’Brien to push him ahead of senior figures such as Donie Cassidy and Terry Leydon.

Meanwhile the outgoing senators — Paschal Mooney, Brian Ó Domhnaill, Denis O’Donovan and Jim Walsh — just one of which is on Mr Martin’s list — retained their seats on the Agricultural Panel.

The controversial list, which angered long-serving senators, was sent to all Fianna Fáil TDs, councillors and outgoing senators who make up the 1,000 eligible to vote for the Seanad vocational panels. It is expected that five out of his list of 10 will be elected.

With counting complete for the Agriculture Panel and the Cultural and Education Panel, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael both had six seats, while Labour had three and Sinn Féin had one.

By the 13th count in the Labour Panel, Fine Gael had added four seats, Labour had taken one and Sinn Féin secured its second.

Counting will continue today to fill all 43 seats that come under the five vocational panels as well as the six elected by graduates of Trinity College and the National University of Ireland.

It is understood that Taoiseach Enda Kenny could name his 11 nominees as well as the leader of the House as early as tomorrow.

Early counts for the NUI Panel show Independent senator Ronan Mullen, with almost 20% of first preference votes, is likely to be re-elected along with cancer specialist John Crown and businessman Feargal Quinn.