Scramble for Seanad to salvage a career

A MAJOR battle is taking place within Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael between current senators and defeated general election candidates over nominations and election to the Seanad.

A Seanad seat is seen as a way for defeated TDs to rescue their political careers and for aspiring politicians to get a foot on the ladder, but fewer senators managed to become TDs at election 2020, meaning there are fewer seats up for grabs in the Upper House.

In this case, more than 15 former Fianna Fáil and 12 former Fine Gael TDs will have to negotiate their way past career senators, who spend their entire time in politics creating a support base of councillors.

They will also have to contend with ambitious councillors who fancy the Seanad as a stepping-stone to the Dáil.

One senior minister said: ‘The Seanad is like the last chopper out of Vietnam, if you don’t get on it that is it.’

Candidates will also have to cope with ‘councillors who can be very uppity. They don’t like being told to vote for some posh top-dog in Dublin. And often they don’t’.

Within Fine Gael, high-flyers who will have to scrap it out include the former Cabinet ministers Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Regina Doherty, Seán Kyne and Michael D’Arcy.

It is also expected that former highprofile TDs Kate O’Connell and Tom Neville will contend for seats.

Key Simon Coveney consigliore Tim Lombard will also be seeking a quick Seanad return to national politics after his shock defeat in Cork South West.

Other high-profile figures hoping to see a return include Michelle Mulherin and Catherine Noone.

Fianna Fáil heavy-hitters Timmy Dooley, Catherine Ardagh, Fiona O’Loughlin and Lisa Chambers will also be hoping to salvage their careers.

The bad news for them is that, of the 23 senators that ran in the election, seven were elected to the Dáil.