Taoiseach Simon Harris has nominated two additional candidates to run in the Seanad election due to a shortfall in the number of contestants for two of the vocational panels.
Sharon Tolan, a Fine Gael councillor in Meath, has been added as a candidate for the Cultural and Educational Panel while her party colleague, Donegal councillor Jimmy Kavanagh is to seek a seat on the Labour Panel.
The additions are being made as there are insufficient numbers of so-called “inside” nominees on these panels.
A spokeswoman for the Taoiseach confirmed that Ms Tolan and Mr Kavanagh have been nominated to contest the Seanad election.
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This happened after engagement between Mr Harris and Tánaiste and Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin.
The electorate for the 43 Seanad seats on the five vocational panels is made up of TDs, outgoing Senators and 949 local authority councillors.
There are two forms of nomination for Seanad elections.
Candidates can either receive a nomination from four Oireachtas members for the “inside” subpanel or they can be nominated by professional nominating bodies representing various sectors of society to the “outside” subpanel.
[ Q&A: How the Seanad election works, who’s running and what are the key races?Opens in new window ]
The complex regulations for Seanad elections set out how the number of candidates for any subpanel must exceed by at least two the maximum number who could be elected from that subpanel.
If there is a shortfall, the 1947 legislation for Seanad elections requires the Taoiseach to nominate people to ensure the panels have the required number of nominees.
Both the Cultural and Educational and Labour Panels were one candidate short of the necessary number of “inside” nominees. Mr Harris has nominated Ms Tolan and Mr Kavanagh as a result.
Ms Tolan also contested the general election, in her case coming fifth in the four-seat Meath East constituency where her Fine Gael running mate was deputy leader Helen McEntee.
Ms Tolan told The Irish Times she is “delighted” to have the opportunity to run in the Seanad election, pointing to her time as a longstanding member of the Louth & Meath Education and Training Board as part of her qualifications for the Cultural and Educational Panel.
[ Seanad elections: How are parties going to use elections to upper house?Opens in new window ]
She said she will be “hitting the road first thing in the morning” as she seeks the vote of politicians around the country.
Ms Tolan said she would “work hard” as a senator if elected, while confirming she still hopes to run for the Dáil again in future.
Donegal councillor Mr Kavanagh is retired from his job in Letterkenny General Hospital’s IT department but he points to his involvement in the union there as the necessary experience to run for a seat on the Seanad’s Labour Panel.
He cites advocating for people with disabilities, the defective blocks issue in Donegal, and the need for improved transport infrastructure in the northwest among issues he would work on as a senator if elected.
He said he does not intend to run for the Dáil himself but would seek to help rebuild Fine Gael in Donegal, where the party has no TD.
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