THE SEANAD HAS been back in the news in the last week after a series of radical reforms were proposed by a group examining how to change the much-maligned upper house.

The Seanad Working Group on Reform last week published a document outlining a series of proposals, including that half of senators are elected by universal suffrage. Under the reforms, Irish passport holders, including emigrants and residents in Northern Ireland, would be entitled to vote.

Currently, the Seanad comprises of 43 senators that are elected by just 1,167 people – all of them elected politicians.

In addition, there are six seats elected by a certain university graduates and then there are 11 nominees whose selection is at the sole discretion of the Taoiseach of the day.

This helpful graphic, produced by the Houses of the Oireachtas Library and Research Service, shows just how incredibly complicated it all is:

Seanad election Houses of the Oireachtas Houses of the Oireachtas

Can’t see it clearly? Click here

Read: Check out these VERY radical proposals to reform the Seanad

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