Seanad is just an elitist crèche — we must demand reform, now
Credit must be given to people who are elected Senators, serve as such, and don’t aspire to run in a general election, but, too often, it is becoming a safety net for those who don’t get elected to the Dáil.
The current system of political elitism sees many of those who failed to get the vote of the people during the general election, get the nod from political counterparts and peers to take a seat in Leinster House. We as a people look on the Seanad without knowledge of its role or its relevance to our society today. How do we even hold our senators to account? We must demand immediate reform of this sub-standard and irrelevant arm of the Oireachtas and reform it to ensure senators are elected by the people, not by fellow politicians and elite groupings.
While this showpiece of political gerrymandering is set to take centre stage, Ireland is on its knees. People are on hospital trollies, the sick are on waiting lists, people are sleeping on our streets desperate for a home and rural Ireland is dying in front of our eyes. Yet, 49 people are going to be elected without a mandate to campaign on these issues, the issues closest to the heart of Ireland.
The majority of the Irish population has no say in this election. Our councillors, some of whom even have up to seven votes in this election, get to decide the majority of the make-up of the Seanad, while some graduates of NUI and Trinity have a combined six representatives have up to two votes. If you have attended an NUI University, Trinity and you are currently a councillor, you could have up to nine votes in this election. Is this democracy?
We must demand reform now. How can we do this? Through debate and attempting to wrangle the power back from the main political parties who have made the Seanad into a political plaything and one of the most elite boys clubs in Ireland. I believe we must ensure that the Seanad is elected at the same time as the local elections or general election, removing the ability of those not elected to use the Seanad as a political safety net.
It may be that I have had my fill of broken promises. It may be that the false hope each party champions is merely the same crook wearing different robes. Or perhaps I see Ireland now as Yeats once did, “Romantic Ireland’s dead and gone, it’s with O’Leary in the grave”.
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