We’re in the final stretch of elections in Ireland: the new Government is in-office and the Seanad count is in progress. With the reduced influence of Ireland’s Upper House along with incoming changes, it’s a good time to break down exactly how to get a seat in the chamber. To any budding Seanad candidates out there, remember that the best time to start campaigning is yesterday; the second-best time is today. Also the best place to start is the Birch Lea Strategies Contact page. There is no second-best place.
Plugging aside, let’s look at the three types of seats in the Seanad and the high-level strategy you might use to attain one. We’ll look at the Taoiseach nominations, the Vocational Panels, and the University Panel.
Taoiseach Nominations to the Seanad
Perhaps the biggest flaw in the Seanad structure is the 11 seats the Taoiseach gets to nominate in order to maintain a Government majority in both houses. While this avoids legislative deadlock, it undermines the ‘advise and consent’ nature of the House if every bill is likely to pass. In any case, the obvious path to power with this type of seat is to be pally with the incoming Taoiseach. As coalition Governments have become the norm in recent decades, these seats have entered the chat as bargaining chips during Government formation talks. Rather than letting the incoming Taoiseach pick all 11 seats, negotiating partners may request a number of nominations for themselves – particularly if there is a rotating Taoiseach deal. Party leaders are likely to propose party members for the role if they have shown strong political potential.
For example, if you come close to winning a seat in a previous election and miss out by a small amount, it may be worth it for the party if you develop experience in the Seanad to build your profile ahead of the next General Election. Therefore, the best strategy here is to show your promise and lobby your party leader for a nomination if your party is entering Government.
Seanad Vocational Panels
The second type of seat is the Vocational Panels, making up 43 seats across five panels. Each panel has a different number of seats but the strategy is roughly the same. The panels represent certain aspects of Irish society. Each panel has a list of registered nominating bodies and the electorate is the entire Oireachtas (ie incoming Dáil members, outgoing Seanad members, and sitting Councillors).
Nomination
The first step is to pick the panel that best resonates with what you can offer. The panels are: Administrative (7 seats); Agricultural (11 seats); Cultural and Educational (5 seats); Industrial and Commercial (9 seats); and Labour (11 seats). Presuming you have some resonance, say, in the Labour movement, you can use your contacts within the nominating trade unions to obtain a nomination.
Election
Once nominated, the lobbying changes gear. With an electoral of roughly 1,200, normal campaigning techniques won’t work. The lobbying continues and may involve some negotiation to procure the votes. Sitting parties in the Dáil have an advantage here. Larger parties may be able to elect their nominees without brokering deals elsewhere. Smaller parties may be able to barter their votes on other panels in exchange for another party’s votes on the panels where their candidates are contesting. Either way, the strategy of the first two types of seats relies entirely on building a personal network within the halls of power and lobbying for votes.
University Panel
The final panel is changing for the next election, switching from two University panels into one and incorporating graduates from all Irish universities. While the electorate is broader and the representation is less niche, the campaign involves the same general strategy as the previous separated panels.
The key to this campaign is acknowledging that it is a non-geographic constituency. Graduates from around the world can vote so long as they have an Irish passport. This presents a wide range of potential issues to campaign on, allowing for a more values-based platform than a normal Dáil election. This allows candidates to be specific in their policy proposals. So long as they have something to say on most hot-button issues, they can use their campaign to platform specific issues. Of course, the issues need to resonate with enough of the electorate to result in votes. In terms of communicating, there are two key elements.
Personal Network
Firstly, a strong personal network is an advantage. The concept of calling a fellow graduate and asking for a vote to represent them will always be the most important aspect of a University panel campaign. While Ireland does not have the alumni association culture to the extent of American Ivy Leagues, it does still play a factor, particularly for Trinity College and University College Dublin.
Digital Strategy
Secondly, a strong digital marketing campaign helps to build name recognition. Paid advertising can be powerful, but most platforms have restrictions on political advertising. It is certainly unlikely that any voters outside of Ireland could be reached this way. In any case, paid advertising is always only effective as a support for organic posts. To really build strong name recognition, consistent, effective posts online are key. Pick your platforms and stick with them, based on where your target audience is. Plan out your campaign, ensuring that every move on the campaign trail promotes a key aspect of your campaign in a way that resonates well with your audience. And, of course, make sure you’ve got some professionals on your campaign too!
So that’s it! Don’t wait until 2029 to start your campaign – it will be far too late by then. If you aspire to sit in the Seanad you must start now. Join a party, get involved in your university alumni association, and get Birch Lea Strategies to help you build your brand!
