That… thing… whatever it is… you know… happening about the Seanad next week….

It’s odd, reading this piece in the IT about the travails of Seanad election candidates, it’s not so much the process they must endure – travelling the length and breadth of the state that strikes me as problematic as the fact they are (and I don’t mean this as a personal criticism) political creatures.

Most useful in the piece are the projections as to seat numbers for the various parties based on the election outcome and numbers of councillors.

FF should have 17 seats, FG 12 (add in Taoiseach’s nominees if it retains power in a coalition). Sinn Féin should get a good 8 or so. The Labour Party 2-3. Independents about 4 seats. Just on SF, Trevor Ó Clochartaigh should return. And others no doubt.

Anyone know about the state of play of the AAA-PBP candidate and their chances?

University seats – 3 for TCD and 3 for the NUI. I only discovered recently that the place I went to college due to an affiliation in the 2000s makes me eligible to vote. Had I registered.

Should be an interesting Seanad.