UPDATE: Former Carlow TD Pat Deering has secured a nomination for the Seanad election
Pat Deering has confirmed the news to Carlow Live
Former Carlow TD Pat Deering has confirmed that he has secured a nomination for the Seanad election.
There are five panels in the Seanad – cultural and educational (5 seats), agricultural (11), labour (11), industrial and commercial (9), and administrative (7).
Each of these panels is split into a Nominating Bodies sub-panels and an Oireachtas sub-panel.
The former contains senators who were put forward by a range of organisations – everything from the Dental Council or the Agricultural Science Association to the Irish Wheelchair Association.
The latter are put forward by at least four members of the outgoing Seanad and incoming Dáil.
These panels make up the bulk of the senators – 43 are elected in this manner.
They are voted on by members of incoming Dáil, the outgoing Seanad, and members of city and county councils – numbering roughly 1,000.
There are 60 seats in the Seanad.