Ninth Level Ireland

“Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail): I move: ‘That the Bill be now read a Second Time’. I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House again. As the Cathaoirleach has said, we are becoming friends in the context of debates on electoral reform. I am very happy to present this legislation to the House on Second Stage …” (more)

[Seanad debates, 10 November]

“Trinity’s three incumbent Senators – Lynn Ruane, David Norris and Ivana Bacik – have all held onto their seats in the Seanad, after an election that concluded on just the eighth count. Norris, a Senator since 1987, reclaimed his seat on the fourth count, with Bacik winning hers on the sixth count and Ruane following on the eighth …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 1 April]

“Senator David Norris has been re-elected to the Seanad in the University of Dublin constituency, reclaiming a seat he’s held since 1987 on the fourth count. Norris won 3,768 votes out of a total valid poll of 15,041, surpassing quota by seven votes, returning officer Provost Patrick Prendergast announced this afternoon …” (more)

[Donal MacNamee, University Times, 1 April]

“10 candidates will contest the election for Trinity’s three seats in Seanad Éireann, having reached the threshold to make it onto the ballot paper as of the close of nominations at 12pm today. All three of Trinity’s incumbent senators, Lynn Ruane, David Norris, and Ivana Bacik, are standing for reelection …” (more)

[Finn Purdy, Trinity News, 14 February]

“The College’s Senators are at cross purposes over proposals that would see the amalgamation of the Trinity and National University of Ireland (NUI) panels in the Seanad …” (more)

[Eleanor O’Mahony, University Times, 20 December]

“Senators David Norris and Ivana Bacik have criticised Trinity’s decision to introduce supplemental exam charges with a flat fee of €450. Speaking to Trinity News, Norris said that he thinks that the fees are ‘considerable overcharging’. Norris continued by stating: ‘In my view Trinity is completely out of sync with other universities’ …” (more)

[Ciaran Sunderland, Trinity News, 9 March]

“President of Trinity College Students’ Union, Lynn Ruane, has been elected to the university’s third Seanad seat. Ruane was declared victorious on the 15th count, beating incumbent senator Sean Barrett by 116 votes …” (more)

[Jane O’Faherty, Independent, 28 April]

“Incumbent Senator David Norris has been re-elected to the Seanad’s TCD panel on the first count having exceeded the quota. During the campaign, Norris, who has served as independent senator on the panel since 1987, highlighted his past political successes as well as his connection with Trinity …” (more)

[Sinéad Baker, University Times, 27 April]

“As most readers will undoubtedly know, Ireland voted on Friday last week on whether to amend the country’s Constitution (Bunreacht na hEireann, 1937) to include in the article on the family the following sentence …” (more)

[Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University Blog, 25 May]

“This is the fourth and final post in a series on Senator Seán Barrett’s Private Members’ Bill, the Universities (Development and Innovation) (Amendment) Bill 2015, which was discussed last week in the Seanad (earlier posts are here, here and here) …” (more)

[Eoin O’Dell, Cearta, 6 February]

“Senator Seán Barrett, in conjunction with Senator Feargal Quinn and Senator David Norris, introduced the Universities (Development and Innovation) (Amendment) Bill 2015 as a Private Members’ Bill in the Seanad, and it was debated last week …” (more)

[Eoin O’Dell, Cearta, 3 February]

“Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail): I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O’Sullivan, to the House. Amendment No. 1, in the name of Senator Barrett, is related to amendment No. 11, and they may be discussed together, by agreement …” (more)

[Seanad debates, 23 September]

“Senator David Norris says intention clear in remarks made by Minister Phil Hogan, while Senator Seán Barrett accuses Taoiseach of ‘revenge’ on Independents …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 12 March]

“A number of recent Trinity College graduates have come together to stand in affiliation in the upcoming local election in May …” (more)

[TheJournal.ie, 17 January]

“The electorate for Seanad university seats will more than double from 200,000 to 500,000 while the electorate for vocational panel seats will halve from 1,000 to 500, it has been claimed …” (more)

[Marie O’Halloran, Irish Times, 27 November]

“Trinity Senators have voiced concerns over the implementation of the 1979 referendum which would extend the university franchise to the graduates of all third-level institutions …” (more)

[Leanna Byrne, University Times, 26 November]

“Sir, – Senator David Norris (October 23rd) rightly indicates the problematic dilemma regarding preparation of an accurate register for university panel Seanad seats, once updated to include graduates from all third-level institutions …” (more)

[John Kennedy, Irish Times, 30 October]

“Sir, – Senator David Norris raises ‘technical’ difficulties in terms of permitting graduates other than those of the NUI and Trinity College to vote for the election of six senators (October 23rd). This sounds suspiciously like early back-tracking …” (more)

[Colum Kenny, Irish Times, 26 October]

“Sir, – I would like to put on record that not just I, but all university Senators from both universities over many years have urged the Government to use the power granted by the people by referendum in 1979 to extend the university franchise …” (more)

[David Norris, Irish Times, 23 October]

“It was bad news for the Taoiseach that not even one member of a panel of international experts had supported his position on the future of the Seanad, David Norris (Ind) said …” (more)

[Jimmy Walsh, Irish Times, 27 June]