With next week’s dissolution of the Dáil approaching rapidly, a number of bills were rushed through the approval process. Among them was the Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill, a piece of legislation that might not have garnered much attention amidst the flurry of activity. This bill significantly extends the voting rights for the six university seats in the upper house, to encompass all graduates from tertiary institutes throughout the nation.
As a result, the duo of three-seat constituencies exclusively filled by graduates from the National University of Ireland and Trinity College Dublin will become obsolete. In its place, a new six-seat Higher Education constituency will be formed. The total voters for these six seats will now drastically escalate into the hundreds of thousands, all of whom will receive a postal vote once the new statute becomes operative for the forthcoming election after the next one.
At the outset, this transform appears to be a humble yet significant stride towards democracy and seems to act on the public sentiment that was articulated in a 1979 referendum, a whopping 45 years ago. However, the reality portrays a grimmer picture. It took several procrastinating years and a victorious lawsuit by a DCU alum, Tomás Heneghan to coerce the political front-runners to take action.
In the year 2023, the Supreme Court pronounced the then existing stipulations as unconstitutional and gave a definite timeline for corrective action. This necessitated the passing of the present bill prior to the conclusion of the current Dáil. The governing body, however, chose to adopt an approach restricted to essential compliance, turning a blind eye to the numerous thoughtful proposals drafted over the years for a more transparent Seanad election procedure. The Government particularly disregarded the 2018 Manning report that introduced a gamut of well-received yet steadfastly overlooked suggestions. Consequently, the newly passed law does nothing more than spotlight the inadequacies in the state’s prevailing election system.
Comparing Ireland to other equivalent nations, it’s clear that it is significantly hindered when making voting more accessible for individuals unable to attend local polling stations in person on election day. Limited postal voting in Dáil elections is unreasonable, and seems to be a result of nothing more than institutional stagnation. This is in stark contrast to the postal voting system planned for the election of six senators by over a million graduates. This starkly unjust distribution of resources and importance is a direct result of the deception displayed by continual lines of political leaders in regard to Seanad reform.
When the general election arrives, this matter won’t essentially intrigue voters. However, in a time where faith in public establishments is dwindling, alongside a declining belief in democratic proceedings, those responsible for maintaining the robustness of democracy need to take their duties more earnestly. The Seanad’s current voting system is universally recognised as outmoded. It’s also challenging to dismiss the idea that maintaining the status quo only benefits the major political parties.