As counting has just concluded on the final vocational panel (Administrative) for Seanad Èireann, Roscommon is facing its first Oireachtas term in many years without a locally-based senator.
Both outgoing Senator Eugene Murphy from Scramogue (Independent, former Fianna Fáil) and outgoing Senator Aisling Dolan (Fine Gael) from Ballinasloe have failed in their bids for places on the Seanad Agricultural Panel. Murphy was hoping to retain his seat, while Dolan, who was one of the 11 Taoiseach’s appointments in 2020, was contesting her first Seanad Election.
Murphy, who is a former Fianna Fáil TD and county councillor, will now not be holding elected office for the first time since 1985. He has already indicated that he will continue to represent people of his area without holding elected office and has set his sights on a comeback at the next local and general elections, currently expected to take place in 2029.
Having left Fianna Fáil following a contentious General Election convention last year, Murphy is unlikely to be in the running for a Taoiseach’s nomination from Michéal Martin.
Dolan received a nomination from Leo Varadkar in 2020, and according to most local analysts has an outside chance of receiving one this time around. Given the new Government’s balance of seats, with Fianna Fáil leading the Government with ten more Dáil seats than Fine Gael, and numerous Independent TDs – some of whom are said to have had been promised Seanad nominations as part of the Government formation talks – Dolan will be up against it to get a nomination.
Roscommon’s only hope of additional local Oireachtas representation is for a Taoiseach’s nomination to the Seanad, expected to be announced later this week. In Longford, Lanesborough native and former Fianna Fáil TD for Longford-Westmeath Joe Flaherty is tipped to receive one of the coveted Taoiseach’s nominations. Flaherty put in a good showing in his attempt to win a seat on the Cultural and Educational Panel but came up short on the 19th count.
