Hustings for the Dublin University Seanad Constituency took place on January 14th. Sixteen candidates are seeking election, with fifteen in attendance at the hustings.
Journalist Áine Kerr moderated the hustings. Provost Linda Doyle was the Returning Officer for the Trinity Seanad Election and opened the night with a speech focusing on higher education investment.
The hustings marked a departure from the recent general election, with far less competitive rhetoric between candidates.
Housing and student issues were prominent in the hustings. Former Lord Mayor and Green Party member Hazel Chu spoke about the student housing crisis and stated that it’s “Not just a student housing crisis, it’s a housing crisis”.
Marcus Matthews criticised the build to rent system, stating that if you are a “small-time renter or developer, you essentially get 40 percent tax on their profits”.
Sadhbh O’Neill stated that in her role as a lecturer she has “seen the effect of the stress of the housing crisis”, with students often dropping out of courses because of mental health, housing, and other stresses. O’Neill is a member of the Labour party and a scientist.
Nigerian barrister Ade Oluborode responded that she “knows first-hand the stress and mental health issues that come from inadequate funding” and “will advocate for the removal of the 2,000 euro [student] contribution”.
Journalist Derek Byrne spoke out against the neoliberal agenda in higher education and voiced his willingness to “be ready to scrutinise and challenge structural inequalities”.
Lynn Ruane and Aubrey McCarthy both focused on their experience working to improve access to education, with McCarthy’s charity work supporting people in advancing through education, and Lynn’s current work as a Senator also focusing on aiding disadvantaged communities.
Palestine
When asked about their positions on Palestine both Paul Mullvile (a Social Democrat Councillor) and Ade Oluborode expressed support for the Occupied Territories Bill, with Oluborode stopping short of calling for a full boycott of Israel. The Green Party’s Ossian Smyth called for the humanitarian clauses in the EU-Israel association agreement to be invoked, and mentioned that Israel and Palestine have the right to exist and defend themselves.
UCD lecturer Kevin Byrne expressed how the Israeli offensive in Gaza has gone too far, and posited that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is continuing the war to stay out of jail. Barrister Laoise De Brún spoke of her time visiting Israel while in college, and described what she saw as a brutal occupation. She also applauded the Irish government for joining the International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case against Israel.
Tom Clonan spoke of how Netanyahu and the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are breaching the basic rules of engagement, and spoke of how the IDF have killed over 50,000 mostly innocent people. Sadhbh O’Neill advocated for a two state solution, and described how the Israeli offensive in Gaza is a genocide, as well as referencing Israel’s “deplorable” actions in the West Bank.
Hugo MacNeill, a former Rugby player, spoke about his refusal to play a match in Apartheid South Africa as a testament to his support of human rights.
Seanad
Previous Trinity senators have included Mary Robinson and David Norris.
Katherine Zappone, an independent who previously served as the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, expressed support for the establishment of a state construction company.
A high proportion of Seanad votes remain unsent according to Tom Clonan.
Social Issues
Trans rights came up during the evening, with particular scrutiny on De Brún, a self-described advocate for “LGB” rights (with notable exclusion of the “T” for trans people) who founded “The Countess”. When asked to elaborate on her views by The University Times Editor Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce, De Brún stated that while she believed the Gender Recognition Act of 2015 came from “a place of compassion”, that legislators failed to consider “unintended consequences” regarding single sex spaces such as sports, prisons, and bathrooms, which would have been “common sense up until a moment ago”.
De Brún was challenged on this by other panellists, with Sadhbh O’Neill stating that “there here are very few people we are talking about here, but the way we talk about it makes it sound like it is an epidemic. What they want is respect and equality and that is not too much to ask for”. De Brún argued that O’Neill was misrepresenting her position, saying it is “important for us to look at both sides as legislators”.
The question of Irish abortion rates was brought up by an audience member and directed at Katherine Zappone. The former activist stated that since the 8th amendment was repealed, she believes that the rate of abortion in Ireland has declined.
Data centres, academic integrity, AI, and climate targets were also issues that were put to the hopeful Senators, with Sadhbh O’Neill and Aubrey McCarthy emerging as strong candidates.
Notably during the night, Lynn Ruane was called “Lynn Boylan” by Áine Kerr, and entrepreneur turned Seanad-hopeful John Mulachy wore a bright red fez.
The 2025 Seanad election will be the last of the Dublin University constituency, which currently elects three Senators. Following the Seanad Electoral Act 2024 being signed into law, a new constituency will be formed for the next Seanad election with expanded franchise for graduates of fifteen colleges and universities. This new six seat constituency will replace the National University of Ireland and Dublin University constituencies.
Speaking to The University Times, the Provost expressed doubts about the fairness of the Seanad system. As currently stands, those who graduated from NUI Colleges or Trinity have a vote in the election.
Following the retirement of David Norris, there are two incumbents seeking re-election: Lynn Ruane – former TCDSU President and activist who was first elected to the Seanad in 2016, and Tom Clonan – a disability activist and a former Defence Forces captain and whistleblower who was first elected in 2022.
Abbas Ali O’Shea was not in attendance at the hustings due to a family funeral.
