Nominations for the Seanad Elections closed on December 30th and a total of 113 candidates have been nominated to contest 43 seats across the five panels including Cahir based Senator Garret Ahearn and 4 Tipperary councillors.
Senator Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) and Cllr Richie Molloy (Independent), Clonmel, are both candidates in the Administrative panel where 18 candidates contest 7 seats, Cllr Declan Burgess (Fine Gael) Cathaoirleach of Tipperary County Council, is a candidate in the Industrial and Commercial Panel which has 27 candidates for 9 seats, Cllr Imelda Goldsboro (Fianna Fáil) is a candidate in the Agricultural panel, 29 candidates for 11 seats, and Cllr Mairin McGrath (Independent) is standing in the Cultural and Education Panel where 21 candidates contest 5 seats. There are 18 candidates for 11 Seanad seats in the Labour Panel.
TDs, outgoing Senators and the 949 councillors across the county will vote between January 15th and 11am on January 30th by postal ballot to fill the seats. Six other Senators will be elected to the National University of Ireland (NUI) and Trinity College constituency and the incoming Taoiseach, expected to be Micheal Martin (Fianna Fáil), will nominate the final 11 senators.
The Dáil is due to sit again on January 22nd when it is expected that Mr Martin will be elected as Taoiseach with the support of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Regional Independent TDs including North Tipperary’s Michael Lowry.
