FIANNA FÁIL has surpassed expectations in the Seanad election count although there have been mixed fortunes for the candidate strategy of party leader Micheál Martin.
With counting in the third of the five vocational panels coming to a close late last night, Fianna Fáil was on course to reach nine or 10 seats, with two panels yet to go – a much healthier result for the party than anticipated.
The party’s overall vote in the elections has been higher than the total number of Fianna Fáil Oireachtas members and county councillors, which suggests that many independent councillors – which include more than 50 from the so-called Fianna Fáil “gene pool” – have opted to vote for the party.
Mr Martin had predicted the party would win between 10 and 12 seats in the Upper House. With counting in the remaining two panels – Industrial and Commercial, and Administrative – to take place today and tomorrow that number has been revised upwards to 14 or 15 of the 43 seats on the five panels.
While that may represent a fillip for the party, there has been disappointment for many of Mr Martin’s list of 10 favoured candidates.
Only three out of the first six of that list have been successful. They are: Thomas Byrne (Cultural and Educational); Brian Ó Domhnaill (Agriculture); and Daragh O’Brien (Labour).
The other three – Seán Connick, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor and James Carroll – all polled comparatively poorly.
It now looks like only five of the 10 preferred candidates will come through – with the likelihood that the party may have only one, possibly two, women representatives in the Oireachtas.
Many of the party’s “old guard” or career Senators such as Labhrás Ó Murchú, Jim Walsh, Paschal Mooney and Terry Leyden have survived, notwithstanding the lack of endorsements from the party leadership.
Fine Gael looks like being the largest party – even before Taoiseach Enda Kenny makes his 11 nominations next month – and will have won either 10 or 11 seats after the third count is completed.
Fine Gael’s Cait Keane looks to be in a battle for the last seat on the 11-seat Labour panel with Fianna Fáil’s former leader of the Seanad Donie Cassidy. Waterford Fine Gael Senator Maurice Cummins and Galway-based Fidelma Healy Eames were the poll-toppers in the Labour panel.
Both Labour and Sinn Féin have performed solidly. Kerry South Labour candidate Marie Maloney has joined former journalist Susan O’Keeffe and James Heffernan who both were elected on the Agricultural panel.
It has secured four seats from three panels with a possibility that John Whelan could win a fifth seat.
Sinn Féin has won two seats so far with candidates Trevor Ó Clochtaraigh (Galway West) and David Cullinane (Waterford) polling very strongly.
Counting also commenced yesterday in the two university panels with the four incumbents performing very strongly in both the National University of Ireland and University of Dublin (TCD) panels.
Presidential hopeful David Norris was last night re-elected to Seanad Éireann for the Dublin University (Trinity College) constituency. Mr Norris who was elected on the first count polled 5471 of the valid poll of 15,394 votes.