FINE GAEL gained a seat at the expense of Fianna Fáil on the five-seat Cultural and Educational panel in the Seanad elections in Leinster House yesterday.
Veteran FF senator Ann Ormonde lost out to Fine Gael’s Michael Mullins, a former mayor of Galway, who said he devoted most of his time to politics. He previously worked in a management position with Schneider Electric, in Ballinasloe, until he was made redundant in 2004.
“I see my success as a victory for Ballinasloe, which has been without an Oireachtas member since 1957,’’ he said.
Mr Mullins said he would prefer to see the Seanad reformed in a meaningful way, rather than abolished. Rather than having expensive tribunals, the Oireachtas should inquire into wrongdoing by the government, politicians or State agencies, with appropriate powers of sanction, he added.
Fine Gael’s Deirdre Clune, who lost her Dáil seat in Cork South Central in the general election, was the first candidate elected to the 24th Seanad.
Ms Clune said she still supported Fine Gael’s policy to abolish the Seanad but it should be part of a package taking in Dáil reform, including reducing the number of TDs, strengthening Oireachtas committees and giving increased powers to local government.
“I do not know what form the question in the referendum on the Seanad will take, but I have no doubt that, right now, people would probably even vote to abolish the Dáil,” she said.
She said that, at a minimum, the Seanad would have to be reformed and that would have to include how senators were elected.
Ms Clune’s defeat in the general election, when party colleague former senator Jerry Buttimer replaced her, was a surprise. Fine Gael, whose other TD in the constituency is Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney, had been hoping to increase its representation in the five-seater. Had she been returned to the Dáil, she would have been a strong contender for ministerial office.
Daughter of Peter Barry, a former Fine Gael minister, she was first elected to the Dáil in 1997 but lost her seat in the 2002 election when Fine Gael’s electoral fortunes were in decline. She won it back in 2007.
She said yesterday that it was too soon to speculate if she would seek a Dáil nomination at the next election. “I certainly would consider it, but it would be a matter for the party and returning to the Dáil would be up to the electorate,” she added.
Cork county councillor John Gilroy took the Labour seat formerly held by Alex White, who was elected to the Dáil for Dublin South in the general election.
Mr Gilroy stood in Cork North Central in the general election, securing 6,125 first preferences and came within 63 votes of securing a seat.
A psychiatric nurse, it was his first time running for the Seanad.
He said he did not think the arguments against abolition of the Seanad had been sufficiently well aired, although the arguments for its abolition had.
“The Seanad could serve as a useful forum if it was reformed,’’ he added. “Every single member of the new Seanad must play his or her part in advance of the planned referendum to clearly demonstrate that the chamber could have a meaningful role in the affairs of the State.’’
Fianna Fáil’s Labhrás Ó Murchú, a senator since 1997, and Thomas Byrne, who lost his Dáil seat in Meath East, took the two Fianna Fail seats. Mr Byrne was one of the 10 candidates favoured by party leader Micheál Martin. Mr Ó Murchú, who was not on the leader’s list, said he thought his election was a victory for “experience’’.