Home counties 'well represented' in Seanad

A tenth (six) of those elected to the Seanad are from this region.

Diarmuid Wilson and Robbie Gallagher, both Fianna Fáil, return to the upper house, alongside Fine Gael’s Joe O’Reilly; while new to the mix are Sinn Féin former TD Pauline Tully and Aontú’s Sarah O’Reilly.

Local representation extends further when Independent Sharon Keogan is included. Though living in Meath, she hails from Denn and is the sister of former Cavan GAA manager and owner of Cavan’s Imperial Hotel, Donal Keogan.

“There’s a right few alright. Plenty of senators about Cavan now. You’re well represented,” jokes Fianna Fáil’s Robbie Gallagher who topped the poll on his election to the Labour Panel.

A former garda and local estate agent, the Donegal-native who made Monaghan his home, was his party’s spokesperson for Justice last term.

First elected to Monaghan Town Council in 1999, and Monaghan County Council five years later, he became a senator for the first time in 2020.

“The icing on the cake was topping the poll,” says Sen Gallagher.

He had an amendment to the 1978 Landlord and Tenant Act (number 2) signed off last term. It affords tenants of commercial properties, under certain conditions, the opportunity to buy out the freehold.

Sen Gallagher was also the Government’s Chief Whip in the Upper House, but makes no declarations as to what role he sees himself in this time round.

“I’ve a constituency office, and between my Seanad work and working on committees, with local councillors as well, its a busy enough role already. But that’s what we’re there for.”

Fellow Labour Panel member, Joe O’Reilly (FG), was equally chuffed to be making his return.

Leas-Chathaoirleach of the Seanad until the Dáil was dissolved, he was a Member of the Sub-Committee on Children of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Sen O’Reilly’s election continues his third stint all told, having previously served on the Cultural and Educational Panel (1989-92) and Industrial and Commercial (2007-11) until his election as TD in 2011. A teacher for more than 20 years in a past life, and a former member of Cavan County Council, he re-entered the Seanad in 2016.

Sen O’Reilly was Fine Gael’s spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Trade; a Member of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade; and a Member of the Seanad Special Committee on The Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

From a policy standpoint, he was particularly forceful in attempts to tackle issues around problem gambling.

Among his proposals was to call for the establishment of a Gambling Regulator, and to ask for a €100 cap on each bet, as well as for gambling companies to display statistics showing the harmful effects like the warnings that appear on cigarette packets.

“It achieved two things,” he says of the added pressure. “I feel it speeded up the legislation that did come, but it also increased the resolution within government parties not to be swung by interest groups to have the legislation diluted.”

There are other issues now that Sen O’Reilly hopes to work on when he returns to Leinster House.

The first is ensuring there are sufficient resources to tackle waiting lists for Special Needs Education; and secondly that greater funding is directed towards supporting Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

The Bailieborough-native believes Ireland is “sufficiently wealthy” to deal with both.

If the country fails to address either or both, Sen O’Reilly believes it would be a “travesty”, one that leaves a generational mark that will take years to recover from.

“There is a core problem here with a lack of professionals, but this needs imaginative thinking if we are to come up with a solution. We may have to look cross-border, indeed west to England and Europe. Everything should be done because, if we don’t do it, and now, with the country as wealthy as is, I don’t see it being done in leaner times.”

For Sen Wilson, this past Seanad contest was his sixth in total, and admittedly the most gruelling.

Traditionally the tightest race of any five vocational panels, Sen Wilson claimed the last and final seat. There was only one count that Sen Wilson didn’t get any transfers from, showing a remarkable level of cross-party support.

“It doesn’t get any easier,” chuckles Sen Wilson, who becomes ‘Father of the House’ as the longest serving continuous Seanad member. Before him it was David Norris who retired, and then Paddy Burke from Mayo who also opted to bow out of the last election.

Nephew of the late John Wilson, a TD, Minister and former Tánaiste, and brother of garda whistleblower John Wilson, during the last Seanad term Sen Wilson was a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly. He also served the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence.

At the start of the last term, he missed out on the position of Cathaoirleach, a decision that caused consternation within grassroot Fianna Fáil ranks.

Sen Wilson initially won an internal Fianna Fáil vote, but ultimately lost out after the process was challenged and the position filled by drawing names from a hat.

Asked if he intends to put his name forward again, Sen Wilson remains coy, yet refused to rule out the prospect.

“I’m just trying to take in what has happened at the minute, but I’m leaving all options open.”

Sen Keogan meanwhile topped the poll to get elected to the Industrial and Commercial panel.

A total of 49 seats on panels are voted on, while another 11 seats will be filled by people nominated by the Taoiseach at a later stage.

He will likely nominate the 11 appointees next week to bring the Seanad up to its full complement of 60.

Direct appointments are expected to comprise of six from Fianna Fáil and five Fine Gael, some of whom will be disappointed having not made it to either the Dáil or Seanad.

Fine Gael’s Carmel Brady does not expect to receive a call, despite missing out on a seat to the Cultural and Educational Panel. More likely, she suggests, the seats will go to counties with little or no existing representation in the Oireachtas.

The Tullyvin woman and current Chair of Cavan-Monaghan ETB says she “thoroughly enjoyed” the challenge of running.

The local councillor travelled the country, often with the support of former Minister, TD and deputy leader of Fine Gael, Heather Humphreys among others.

“It is an amazing experience. You meet some wonderful people along the way, even from within your own party, many who you mightn’t have had to chance to chat to before. It is wonderful.”