Comment: Trinity Graduates only 30% Vote
Helen Rochford Brennan (Chair Dementia Working Group), Sabina Brennan (Seanad Candidate) and Una Geary (Trinity Graduate)
I stood outside the Dáil today to highlight the fact that only 30% of the registered electorate voted in the 2011 Seanad election.
If the same proportions vote in the 2016 election that will mean that 40,700 votes will be wasted.
Voting in the Seanad Election is a privilege afforded to Trinity graduates. Many older adults, people living with dementia, people with intellectual disabilities and carers didn’t have an opportunity to go to university and therefore don’t have a vote. However, these people need to have their voices heard in the Oireachtas.
If you are one of that 40,700 please consider giving me your number 1 vote, I will ensure that their voices are heard. I am disgusted and ashamed of how we, in Ireland, treat older people and those with neurological conditions including dementia. I will promote their rights and work closely with them to articulate their needs. My own personal experience walking the dementia journey with my mum has compelled me to run for the Seanad in order to influence policy and practice.”
I will campaign for:
- A senior minister for older people to implement the National Positive Ageing Strategy and combat ageism
- A National Human Rights and Equality Action Plan
- Resources for public health education, increased access to education and lifelong learning
- Full implementation of the National Dementia Strategy
- Implementation of the Neurorehabilitation Strategy
- Community readiness for people with intellectual disability
- Ratification of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
- Resources for a renewed Carer’s Strategy
- Constitutional reform to include removal of the ‘women in the home’ clause and extension of the definition of carer
The actions, that I am campaigning for, are both practical and realistic and will impact positively on all of our futures to bring social, health and economic benefits for us all.
Update on voting from Trinity Academic Registry Office
According to the Academic Registry office as of today, 6th April 2016, they have received by return post: 9480 undelivered ballots. 6652 completed ballots.
In the coming days they will be reissuing all returned ballots for which they have received a) an updated address or b) a request to reissue to the same address
They will be able to accept address updates or requests to resend a returned ballot to the same address until 18th of April.
Electors wishing to track delivery status of their ballot can contact DU Seanad Support directly to obtain this, which they can use on An Post’s website here:https://track.anpost.ie/ or when speaking to An Post customer service.
Address updates should be submitted via this online form.