Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013

Public bill · Private Member · Presented

The Seanad Electoral Reform Bill 2013 would replace the existing Seanad election system with one allowing people aged 18 or over who are legally resident in Ireland to vote, while Irish citizens abroad could register and vote through embassies or consulates. It would create three university constituencies, including graduates of DCU, the University of Limerick and institutes of technology, open the five vocational panels to candidates supported by 1,000 signatures, and hold Seanad elections alongside Dáil elections. It also sets out postal voting, counting, vacancy and election-offence rules, with costs partly recovered by reducing payments to parties and independent senators.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to provide for free and fair elections to Seanad Éireann wherein the franchise is extended to all people who are over eighteen and legally resident in Ireland and to all people who are Irish citizens; to alter the method that graduates of an Irish Institute of Higher Education use to elect members of the Seanad; to provide for the conduct of elections to Seanad Éireann and to amend the Seanad Electoral (University Members) Acts 1937 to 2006, the Seanad Electoral (Panel Members) Acts 1947 to 2006; to amend the Electoral Acts 1992 to 2012; to amend the Oireachtas (Miscellaneous Provisions) and Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices (Amendment) Act 1996 and to provide for related matters

Last updated 18 April 2018