Alumni from more than 15 designated institutions are being encouraged to apply to be included in the first Register of Electors for the new Seanad Higher Education Constituency ahead of tomorrow's registration deadline.
The current arrangements, whereby three senators are elected by graduates of National University of Ireland (NUI) and three by graduates of the University of Dublin (Trinity College), will remain in place for the current Seanad General Election that is now under way.
However, graduates of technical universities, other universities and institutes of technology will, in future, elect all six senators as part of a newly established six-seat Higher Education Constituency.
The Government made the change on foot of a Supreme Court judgment that required any Seanad university election held after 31 May 2025 be based on an expanded number of institutions.
Applications to be included in the first Register of Electors for the new constituency can be made online via www.seanadvoter.ie until tomorrow.
If eligible voters miss tomorrow’s deadline to register for the Seanad Higher Education Constituency - they will not be able to apply again until the register reopens next year.
The first register will be published on the 1 April 2025. From 2026 onward, the register will be published on 1 June each year.
The new Higher Education Constituency will replace the existing NUI and University of Dublin (Trinity College Dublin) constituencies for Seanad elections held after 1 June 2025.
For the first time voting rights will be granted to degree holders from designated higher education institutions other than NUI and Trinity College Dublin (TCD) graduates.
A more 'encompassing' electorate
Graduates who hold bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degrees from Atlantic Technological University (ATU) and meet the eligibility criteria can now register.
President for Academic Affairs and Registrar at ATU, Dr Billy Bennett said: "It’s significant because it extends the electorate beyond the narrow existing electorate to be a much more encompassing electorate including all the named higher education institutions.
"It’s a parity of esteem. It’s a recognition of all graduates in the country, not graduates from some institutions but graduates from all the designated higher education institutions.
"It means that those students are enfranchised and it’s more representative in terms of the different regions of the country.
"My key message to people is to visit seanadvoter.ie and register for eligibility."
This development expands the franchise for electing Higher Education Senators to include graduates of ATU and its legacy institutions.
While the new constituency will not be in place for the Seanad general election in January 2025, it will apply to subsequent elections.
People currently on the NUI and Trinity College Dublin registers will not be automatically added to the new expanded register and will have to re-register.
The Higher Education Authority Act provides for a process whereby higher education institutions not currently designated can in future apply for designation.
The current Seanad General Election is being held based on the two existing NUI and TCD constituencies, electing three senators each.
The polls close for both those constituencies at 11am on Wednesday 29 January.
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