A fisheries organisation has for the second election in a row had one of its Seanad nominees rejected because they were deemed insufficiently qualified to run for a seat on the Agricultural Panel.
The Irish South & West Fish Producers Organisation (IS & WFPO) put forward Cork-based Aontú politician Becky Kealy as one of its nominees. However, as part of the statutory electoral process for finalising the list of Seanad Election candidates, it was determined that Ms Kealy was not qualified for the role.
In 2020, a previous IS & WFPO nominee, then-Sinn Féin councillor Paul Hayes, was also excluded because of insufficient qualifications. He accepted the decision at the time.
Seanad hopefuls can be nominated to run for one of five vocational panels through registered nominating bodies like IS & WFPO.
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Another IS & WFPO nominee – Kerry-based Fianna Fáil councillor Breandán Fitzgerald – has been deemed qualified to run in the election.
Under the Constitution, nominees for the Agriculture Panel must have knowledge and practical experience in agriculture and allied interests, and fisheries.
IS & WFPO chief executive Patrick Murphy criticised the process that has seen two of his organisation’s nominees rejected in successive elections.
He defended Ms Kealy’s knowledge of the fisheries industry and said IS & WFPO was an “expert body” that interviewed the candidates to see if they have the “skill set and ability” to represent the fishing industry.
Mr Murphy claimed that the process where a nominee can later be rejected “is not democracy by any stretch of the imagination”.
An Oireachtas statement said the election returning officer, Clerk of the Seanad Martin Groves, determines whether a nominee is qualified at a meeting known as the completion of the panels.
The meeting is also attended by a judicial referee; the person who has been nominated may tender evidence in writing or give oral evidence at the sitting.
The statement said that “at the sitting for the completion of the panels held on Wednesday, 8th January, the Returning Officer referred to the judicial referee the question whether Ms Becky Kealy was qualified for the Agricultural Panel. The judicial referee, Mr Justice Richard Humphreys of the High Court, ruled that Ms Kealy was not qualified.”
Ms Kealy told The Irish Times: “It was clear from our very first conversation with the returning officer that my experience was not enough to make the panel,” and “as a party, we decided to move on to our next candidate”.
Aontú selected Cavan councillor Sarah O’Reilly, who has 18 years of farming experience, as its Agriculture Panel candidate.
Mr Murphy, who ran for Aontú in last year’s European Election, said he has now left the party, in part over its handling of the Seanad Election.
Party leader Peadar Tóibín said Ms Kealy “would have been a great candidate” and Aontú “argued the case” for her, “but we were told that she would not be accepted”.
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