What happens to a Dublin Councillor's seat when it becomes vacant?
Two Dublin council seats have been vacated in the past week and many are wondering about the process through which they are filled.
With Social Democrats Councillor Daniel Ennis becoming one of two new TDs after winning the Dublin Central by-election last Friday, there’s a vacant seat now available in Dublin City Council . South Dublin County Council has also found itself one representative short after former Sinn Féin Cllr Niamh Fennell announced over social media on Monday that she was stepping down for a new life in Australia due to the cost of living crisis.
While Paschal Donohoe’s resignation as Minister for Finance last November for a new job at the World Bank was enough to trigger a by-election, the process is different within local politics. Instead of the general public voting in new councillors like in the local elections, it’s the party themselves who decide on a replacement to co-opt the empty seat, which is referred to as a casual vacancy.
Social Democrats Cllr Jesslyn Henry spoke to Dublin Live about their party’s replacement process. Although she didn’t put forward any potential names, there’s a clear system in place for hopefuls to be considered.
First an expression of interest is opened to branch members within Dublin Central through the Social Democrats internal candidate selection committee. Cllr Henry said those who wish to potentially fill the seat must go through “quite a lengthy” application process.
These candidates will be shortlisted and brought to interview before the candidate is ultimately selected. There are certain prerequisites in place, such as a candidate must be a party member for over six months.
While the candidate is supposed to be nominated before the next general council meeting, Cllr Henry said that is quite a tight turnaround as the next meeting is slated for June 8 and there is some room for it to be pushed to later in the month. Cllr Henry said they plan to have Mr Ennis’s replacement in place in June and there are other special council meetings where this can be put on the agenda and officially confirmed.
Cllr Henry explained that the Social Democrats selection committee is made up of members of the National Executive, as well others with specialised expertise. “They will go through the application process, do the interviews, as well as the vetting procedures, before it goes to the National Executive,” she said.
For South Dublin County Council’s casual vacancy, Sinn Féin will have their own internal selection process. This means that in the coming weeks, Dublin will welcome two new councillors to local authorities and although they were not officially elected by the public, they have been advocated for by their party members and will serve their constituency until the next local election barring any further resignations or by-elections.
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