Politics

Greater gender balance expected to feature in Taoiseach’s 11 nominees to Seanad

Former broadcasters Alison Comyn and Gráinne Seoige tipped as possible nominees

Under the Government agreement, Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will choose six nominees to the Seanad. Five will be picked by Tánaiste Simon Harris. Photograph: Gráinne Ni Aodha/PA Wire
Under the Government agreement, Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin will choose six nominees to the Seanad. Five will be picked by Tánaiste Simon Harris. Photograph: Gráinne Ni Aodha/PA Wire
Cormac McQuinn
Thu Feb 06 2025 - 06:00

The Taoiseach’s nominees to the Seanad – the last 11 seats for the Upper House of the Oireachtas – could be named as early as Friday amid intense speculation over who will be appointed.

Under the Government agreement, six of the senators will be selected by Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and five will be picked by Tánaiste Simon Harris of Fine Gael.

Seanad elections for the other 49 members of the 60-strong chamber concluded earlier this week.

There is an expectation within both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael that the nominations will be used to appoint more women in the wake of the backlash over the gender make-up among ranks of new Ministers.

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The nominations are also expected be used, in the main, to appoint senators that have a good chance of being elected to the Dáil at the next general election.

In all likelihood many of those nominated from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will be based in constituencies where their respective parties either do not hold a seat or hope to win a second one.

Several names are believed to in the mix for Fianna Fáil.

They include former minister Anne Rabbitte (Galway East), former TD Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath) and Dublin Fingal West candidate and former senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee who were all unsuccessful in bids to get elected to the Dáil and Seanad.

Former minister for health Stephen Donnelly, who lost his Dáil seat in Wicklow, was also said by a source to be potentially “in the mix” though others cast doubt on this.

Dee Ryan, the party’s mayoral election candidate in Limerick last year who also ran in the general election, has been strongly tipped for a seat.

Former broadcaster Alison Comyn, who had a decent general election run for Fianna Fáil in Louth, is another contender along with another former journalist Gráinne Seoige – though her Dáil bid in Galway West was not as strong.

[ Seanad election finishes with 20 women among 49 winners ]

Other possible nominees include Cllr Imelda Goldsboro who failed to get elected to the Dáil in Tipperary South last November but came fourth in the three-seat constituency.

Another is Cllr Uruemu Adejinmi in Longford, though should Mr Martin choose a nominee from the county it would most likely be either her or Mr Flaherty rather than both.

There has also been speculation that former unionist senator and Ulster Farmers Union president Ian Marshall might get a nomination from Mr Martin.

On the Fine Gael side councillors Noel O’Donovan and Carmel Brady, who contested the general election in Cork South-West and Cavan-Monaghan respectively, are considered to be likely to be selected by Mr Harris.

Clare general election candidate Leonora Carey is also said to be in with a chance.

Meanwhile, with no Fine Gael TD in Donegal it is seen as likely that either former senator Nikki Bradley or John McNulty – both election candidates in the constituency in November – will be appointed.

Others mentioned by Fine Gael sources include councillor David Fitzgerald, who is based in Kilkenny, a county with no Fine Gael TD; councillor Vicki Casserly; and former senator Mary Seery-Kearney.

Former TD Alan Farrell was a surprise seat loss for Fine Gael in Dublin Fingal East in November and was unsuccessful in his bid to be elected to the Seanad.

His name was not being ruled out as a potential nominee by Fine Gael sources but nor did they believe he was certain to be appointed.

With many more hopefuls than Seanad seats up for grabs the decisions by Mr Martin and Mr Harris have some difficult decisions to make.

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn

Cormac McQuinn is a Political Correspondent at The Irish Times