LAST UPDATE | 1 Apr 2020

FORMER SINN FÉIN MEP Lynn Boylan and former Independent senator Rónán Mullen have won seats in the Seanad.

Counting in the Seanad elections resumed today in Dublin Castle. 

Yesterday, all five seats were filled on the Cultural and Educational panel which included three former TDs who lost their seat in February’s general election.

Those deemed elected on the Agricultural panel include former Minister of State Fine Gael’s Michael D’Arcy as well as former Fianna Fáil TD Eugene Murphy.

Pippa Hackett of the Green Party held on to her Seanad seat, while Labour’s Annie Hoey, a councillor who stood in the general election was also elected. 

The full list is as follows:

• Victor Boyhan
• Denis O’Donovan
• Paul Daly
• Niall Blaney
• Tim Lombard
• Paddy Burke
• Michael D’Arcy
• Eugene Murphy
• Pippa Hackett
• Annie Hoey
• Lynn Boylan

The count for the Labour Panel has now begun, with two seats already awarded to Jerry Buttimer and John Cummins.

Counting will continue today to fill 49 of the 60 seats of the Upper House. 

The five vocational panels compromise 43 of the Seanad’s 60 seats.

There are 118 candidates seeking election to the panels.

In addition to the Cultural and Educational panel, the other four panels are: Agricultural, Labour, Industrial and Commercial, and Administrative.

Votes for each panel had been due to be counted on successive days through the week.

The counts for the two University panels – for six seats, three each from National University of Ireland colleges and Trinity College – will also be completed.

The final 11 senators to make up the next Seanad will be announced by the Taoiseach of the next government.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is not able to nominate the final 11 senators, putting pressure on politicians for a new government to be formed.

The contest for the Seanad has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Candidates had to stop campaigning early in order to comply with social distancing measures.

Access to the count centre at Dublin Castle yesterday was strictly limited, with even candidates urged not to attend.