LIMERICK graduates could soon be given the chance to vote in Seanad elections, following the movement of a bill to expand the franchise to committee stage in the Seanad.
Senator Malcom Byrne tabled the bill to allow graduates from collages other than National University of Ireland to vote in elections.
Currently only graduates from University College Dublin, University College Cork, University of Galway, Maynooth University, and Trinity College are allowed to vote in elections for the upper house.
The movement of the bill to committee stage has increased urgency following a successful court case taken by University of Limerick graduate Tomás Heneghan, in which the Supreme Court ruled that disallowing UL graduates to vote was unconstitutional.
Senator Byrne said: “On 5th July 1979, the Irish people in a referendum voted to expand the Seanad universities panels franchise.”
“Irish Governments have failed to act but now on the 44th anniversary of that vote, there can be no further excuses,” he said.
“The model envisioned is one where graduates will have to opt in to vote. Finally, graduates of UL, DCU, the new Technological Universities, and other institutions will be able to vote,” he concluded.
