Longford Trio eye up the Seanad

Having secured one member in the Dáil local political interests will be turning their attention to the Seanad.

Three names have been touted as possible inclusions on the ballot for the Upper House of the Oireachtas in the January elections.

The Seanad is composed of 60 members. Eleven Senators are nominated by the Taoiseach, while 49 are elected in Seanad elections.

Of those 43 are elected from panels of candidates representing specified vocational interests, while the remaining six members are elected by university graduates of certain universities.

Also Read: PICTURES | Tractor run in aid of Granard Christmas Lights a huge success

At present 16 candidates are nominated to contest the upcoming University of Dublin Seanad election.

Ballots for those elections will be posted to registered voters on 30th December 2024, while the poll closes at 11:00am on January 29, 2025.

One member of Longford County Council, Paraic Brady (FG), has signalled his intention to seek election to the Upper House of the Oireachtas, while another, Cllr Paul Ross (FG), has said he is still deciding whether the time is right for a Seanad campaign.

Cllr Brady flagged his ambitions for a seat at the December meeting of the local authority last Friday.

Speaking to the Leader after the meeting he explained his reasoning: “I was encouraged by the support that I received from the farming groups and farming organisations on the doorstep in both the local and general elections.

Also Read: PICTURES | Lots of laughter as Longford students sparkle during hilarious panto

“Being a farmer, I'm aware of the huge concerns on rules and regulations that are coming in from Europe, not only regarding climate change, but also the diminishing Irish suckler herd. I feel there's a need for a strong voice in the Dáil and the Senate to represent farming groups and farming organisations as well as sporting bodies.”

With just weeks to go before the election, and the inconvenience of the festive season, Cllr Brady says he's not daunted by the need to canvass a constituency that encompasses 26 counties: “A lot of councillors in Ireland know Paraic Brady.

“A lot of independent councillors know me, as well as the Fine Gael members. I'm hoping to get support from across the parties for my Seanad election campaign. I feel they understand Paraic Brady is a rural councillor and can be a voice for rural Ireland.”

Also Read: One hundred years young! Longford nun celebrates 100th birthday in Washington

His party colleague, Cllr Paul Ross, has been tipped as another possible new face in the Upper House: “There's always an interest in progression in politics,” he told the Leader when asked about a potential run, “It's a matter of looking at timing and looking at the options that are in front of you.”

He is aware of the speculation about his political future: “There has been discussion about me in the Senate. I have to look at that over the next couple of weeks and see how that pans out. It is something I am interested in at some point in my life. I'm keeping my options open and I'll let you know in due course.”

The third name suggested for a Seanad run is the outgoing Fianna Fáil TD, Joe Flaherty. The former TD has confirmed he will seek a place in the Seanad after he suffered disappointment when he lost his Dáil seat in this General Election last week.