Ciarán Ahern

Ciarán Ahern, a senior associate at A&L Goodbody, has been nominated to fill the vacancy on the industrial and commercial panel created by Senator Elisha McCallion’s resignation last October.

The new Senator will be elected by members of the Oireachtas in a ballot running from 7–21 April 2021. Mr Ahern’s election pitch centres on youth involvement and politics and reform of the Seanad.

“Very few people understand that 218 politicians are the only ones who get to decide on this election to our national parliament,” Mr Ahern said.

“Through backroom deals the larger parties have the vote sewn up well in advance making it next to impossible for candidates from smaller parties to win these elections.

“This is just one small part of the Seanad reform that Labour has been calling for. Senator Ivana Bacik and Labour colleagues have proposed a number of reforms that could be brought in immediately via legislation, without the need to change the constitution.

“This includes the opportunity for all citizens to vote for the five vocational panels, expansion of the electorate for the university panel and holding the Seanad election on the same day as the Dáil election.”