2022 Dublin University by-election

A by-election was held for the Seanad Éireann Dublin University constituency in Ireland in March 2022.^[1] Ballot papers were issued on 25 February and polls closed at 11 a.m. on 30 March 2022.^[2] The election was won by former army officer and whistleblower Tom Clonan.^[3][4]

Background

The vacancy was caused by the election of Labour's Ivana Bacik to Dáil Éireann on 8 July 2021 at a by-election in Dublin Bay South.^[5] On 10 November 2021, the Seanad passed a motion calling on the clerk of the Seanad to send notice to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage of the vacancy.^[6] The minister was required to make the order for a by-election within six months of this notice.^[7]

Election system

Every citizen of Ireland who is at least 18 years old and who has received a degree (other than an honorary degree) or obtained a scholarship from Trinity College Dublin is entitled to be registered as an elector.^[8] The electorate of the university is approximately 70,000.^[1][9] When a casual vacancy occurs it is filled by a by-election. The procedure at a by-election is the same as that at a general election of university members.^[9] Candidates must be proposed and seconded by two registered electors, with the assent of eight other electors.^[10] All votes are cast by postal ballot, and are counted using the single transferable vote.

Candidates

Seventeen candidates were nominated.^[11] All nominations are non-partisan, with no provision for nomination by parties as there is in Dáil elections. These include, ordered by the date of their declaration:

• Tom Clonan, former soldier, declared on 10 July 2021^[12][13]
• Hugo MacNeill, former rugby player, declared on 21 July 2021^[13]
• Gisèle Scanlon, Trinity College Dublin Graduate Students' Union President, declared on 21 July 2021 ^[13]
• Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin, sociology PhD researcher, declared on 21 September 2021^[14]
• Ursula Quill, Bacik's former assistant and a Labour Party member^[15][14]
• Ray Bassett, former diplomat, declared on 1 November 2021^[16]
• Sadhbh O'Neill, academic at Dublin City University declared in November 2021^[17][18]
• Eoin Barry, Labour Party member, declared in December 2021^[19]
• Ade Oluborode, barrister, declared in January 2022.^[20]
• Michael McDermott, PhD student at Trinity College Dublin, declared in January 2022.^[21][22]
• Maureen Gaffney, psychologist, author, broadcaster, declared in February 2022
• Hazel Chu, Green Party councillor and former Lord Mayor of Dublin, declared in February 2022^[23][15]
• Aubrey McCarthy, founder of the homelessness and rehabilitation charity Tiglin, declared on 10 February 2022^[24]
• Patricia McKenna, former Member of the European Parliament for Dublin and former Cathaoirleach of the People's Movement, declared on 12 February 2022^[25]
• Catherine Stocker, Social Democrats councillor for Dublin City, declared in February 2022^[22]

Result

2022 Seanad by-election: Dublin University^[26]^[27]^[28]^[29]

Party		Candidate	FPv%	Count
				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
	Independent	Hugo MacNeill	15.4%	2,068	2,071	2,075	2,085	2,092	2,102	2,121	2,153	2,250	2,290	2,312	2,391	2,624	2,863
	Independent	Tom Clonan	14.5%	1,947	1,952	1,976	1,990	2,014	2,040	2,077	2,137	2,243	2,332	2,436	2,637	2,973	3,359	4,200	5,358
	Independent	Maureen Gaffney	14.0%	1,882	1,884	1,892	1,913	1,936	1,972	1,993	2,066	2,121	2,190	2,274	2,438	2,641	3,083	3,908	5,198
	Green Party	Hazel Chu[a]	13.2%	1,766	1,770	1,785	1,802	1,823	1,842	1,858	1,918	1,955	2,090	2,272	2,583	2,743	3,300	3,683
	Labour Party	Ursula Quill[a]	8.6%	1,156	1,159	1,178	1,205	1,226	1,246	1,290	1,325	1,368	1,430	1,525	1,773	1,890
	Independent	Aubrey McCarthy	7.1%	947	950	954	962	977	997	1,012	1,033	1,115	1,139	1,187	1,281
	Independent	Sadhbh O'Neill	6.5%	870	873	879	896	909	931	940	991	1,030	1,105	1,186
	Social Democrats	Catherine Stocker[a]	3.9%	521	521	530	541	548	563	576	600	608	657
	Independent	Ade Oluborode	3.5%	471	479	488	500	508	528	548	576	586
	Independent	Ray Bassett	3.4%	458	458	458	463	475	480	497	544
	Independent	Patricia McKenna	3.1%	421	421	427	434	440	454	463
	Independent	Paula Roseingrave	1.5%	200	200	202	209	220
	Labour Party	Eoin Barry[a]	1.4%	189	192	199	199
	Independent	Ryan Alberto Ó Giobúin	1.4%	182	183	195	202	222	230
	Independent	Gisèle Scanlon	1.3%	170	170	174
	Independent	Michael McDermott	1.0%	132	134
	Independent	Abbas Ali O'Shea	0.3%	38
Electorate: 67,788   Valid: 13,418   Spoilt: 16   Quota: 6,710   Turnout: 13,434 (19.8%)

1. Indication of party membership. No party labels appeared on the ballot.

See also

• List of Seanad by-elections

References

1. McGee, Harry (16 November 2021). "Seanad byelection set to cost over €500k". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
2. "Seanad Bye-Election to be held". Government of Ireland. 27 January 2022. Archived from the original on 27 January 2022. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
3. McQuinn, Cormac (31 March 2022). "Tom Clonan wins Seanad byelection by 160 votes after close race". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
4. "Clonan wins Trinity College Seanad by-election". RTÉ News. 31 March 2022. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
5. "Labour's Ivana Bacik elected in Dublin Bay South after ninth count". RTÉ News. 9 July 2021. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
6. "Vacancy in Membership of Seanad Éireann: Motion – Seanad Éireann (26th Seanad)". Houses of the Oireachtas. 10 November 2021. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
7. Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 13: Seanad bye-election orders (No. 30 of 1937, s. 13). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
8. Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 7: Franchise (No. 30 of 1937, s. 7). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
9. "How the Seanad is Elected". Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage . 21 January 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
10. Seanad Electoral (University Members) Act 1937, s. 7: Nomination of candidates (No. 30 of 1937, s. 7). Enacted on 19 November 1937. Act of the Oireachtas. Retrieved from Irish Statute Book.
11. "Nominations for the University of Dublin Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
12. Tom Clonan [@TomClonan] (10 July 2021). "Sincerest Congrats to @ivanabacik on her election to Dáil Éireann. Ivana will be a great TD - like @geraldnash I intend to run in Senate TCD By-Election: 'Who could fill Ivana Bacik's seat in the Seanad following her election to Dáil?' (via @thejournal_ie)" (Tweet). Retrieved 14 July 2021 – via Twitter.
13. O'Brien, Stephen. "Rugby star Hugo MacNeill makes another try to win Seanad seat". The Times. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2021.
14. Moreau, Emer (21 September 2021). "Two Trinity PhD Students Announces Seanad Bid". The University Times. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
15. O'Halloran, Marie (2 August 2021). "Hazel Chu considers running in Trinity College Seanad by election". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
16. Maguire, Mairead (1 November 2021). "Journalist and Ex-Diplomat Ray Bassett to Contest Seanad Bye Election". The University Times. Archived from the original on 4 November 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
17. "Seanad byelection set to cost over €500k". The Irish Times. Dublin. 16 November 2021. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
18. O'Neill, Sadhbh. "Why am I Standing?". Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
19. Barrett, Joe (13 December 2021). "Laois man to contest by-election for seat in Seanad Éireann". Laois Nationalist. Archived from the original on 14 December 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
20. Bowers, Shauna (24 January 2022). "Barrister Ade Oluborode Announces Seanad Bid For Trinity Seat in Seanad Byelection". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
21. Michael McDermott (Abolish the Seanad from within) [@GlassHalfArsed] (27 January 2022). "Who's nominating me?" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 February 2022 – via Twitter.
22. Hurley, Sandra (22 February 2022). "Well known names vie to fill Ivana Bacik's Seanad seat". Dublin. Archived from the original on 23 February 2022. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
23. Hosford, Paul (4 February 2022). "Former Dublin mayor Hazel Chu to contest Seanad election". Irish Examiner. Cork. ISSN 1393-9564. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
24. O'Meara, Paul (11 February 2022). "Kildare businessman and charity founder launches Seanad bid". Leinster Leader. Naas. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
25. McKenna, Patricia [@Pmckennaa] (12 February 2022). "Dissolve The Echo Chambers" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
26. "UNIVERSITY OF DUBLIN - SEANAD BYE-ELECTION 2022" (PDF). Oireachtas. 31 March 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
27. "Nominations for the University of Dublin Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
28. "Seanad Bye-Election 2022". Trinity College Dublin. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
29. McQuinn, Cormac (30 March 2022). "Seanad byelection: Hugo MacNeill tops poll in first count". The Irish Times. Dublin. ISSN 0791-5144. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.

External links

• Trinity College Dublin: Seanad Bye-Election 2022