“what is rotten at the core of the Seanad is the way it is
elected. It is an elitist apartheid system that belongs to a different
era and does not belong to modern Ireland."
- Pearse Doherty TD
Vote YES to abolish the Seanad
Sinn Féin seeks to build a New Republic on this island based on
equality for all citizens.
We wish to see an end to privilege
and elitism, and to the cronyism and influence of vested interests that have so
damaged politics in this country.
Fairness, democracy and equality of
citizenship demand that the current Seanad be abolished.
There can be no place in a real
republic, based on equality, for an elected office to which only a tiny
percentage of the population have the right to vote.
What’s wrong with the Seanad?
It is undemocratic
Only a tiny percentage of the
population has a say in who gets elected to the Seanad.
It is elitist
The right to vote in Seanad elections
is based on educational achievement with only those citizens who have graduated
from a select number of universities entitled to vote in addition to city and
county councillors.
It is a rubber stamp
The government has an inbuilt
majority and in the last two-and-a-half years, the Seanad has supported the
government on every single occasion, including the introduction of the Property
Tax, cuts to Disability Payments and the Promissory Note deal which is costing
the tax payer €30 billion.
Cronyism
The Seanad has been abused to reward
political cronies – most notably in the Bertie Ahern era. In the majority of
other cases a Seanad seat has been a consolation prize for those failing to
secure Dáil seats.
Did you know?
Since the late 1970s, a total of 12
reports have proposed reform of the Seanad. Not one has been implemented.
During the 14 years up to 2011, when Micheál Martin sat in Cabinet, Fianna Fáil
did nothing to reform the Seanad.
Real political reform needed
Dáil reform
Reform of the Dáil to make it more
affective and accountable. Make membership of the Dáil more diverse and
representative by introducing a partial list system for Dáil elections.
Votes for diaspora
Extend the right to vote in
Presidential elections to citizens living in the North and to Irish citizens
living and working abroad as is the norm in most modern democracies.
Northern representation
Introduce immediate speaking and
consultative rights for Northern MPs and Assembly members in the Dáil and
change the Constitution to allow northern MPs to automatically become members
of the Dáil.
Sinn Féin is appealing to voters to get out and vote in this referendum on October 4th and to Vote Yes."
Sinn Féin Mounmellick – Serving The Community
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