Ahead of the upcoming Seanad election, the first hustings took place in Trinity College Dublin on January 14. Consisting of two eight-person debates, the candidates discussed a variety of topics, including trans issues and the housing crisis.

The current senators for the Trinity Panel are Lynn Ruane and Tom Clonan, who are both seeking to be re-elected. A third seat has remained vacant since David Norris announced his retirement last year. With three Seanad seats up for grabs, candidates for the Trinity Panel can only be voted by college alumni.

A total of 16 candidates are up for the Trinity College Dublin consistency in the Seanad, including the two incumbents. Among them are also Derek Byrne, who is LGBT+ Education Officer with Men’s Aid and whose activism has recently focused on intimate partner abuse among gay and bisexual men; and former Minister Katherine Zappone, who brought a case before the High Court which was one of the major events in the debate on same-sex marriage in Ireland.

The full list of candidates includes: Derek Byrne, Kevin Byrne, Hazel Chu, Tom Clonan, Laoise de Brún, Hugo MacNeill, Marcus Matthews, Aubrey McCarthy, John (Jack) Mulcahy, Paul Mulville, Sadhbh O’Neill, Abbas Ali O’Shea, Ade Oluborode, Lynn Ruane, Ossian Smyth and Katherine Zappone.

Thank you to the candidates who took part in a robust and engaging Seanad hustings this evening, and to our audience members for their questions!

Reminder: voting closes at 11am on 29 January #Seanad25 pic.twitter.com/OSs434s2pQ

— Trinity College Dublin (@tcddublin) January 14, 2025

All candidates were present during the Trinity hustings, with the exception of Independent Abbas Ali O’Shea, who was unable to attend due to a family bereavement. During the debates, they discussed some of the most pressing issues in Ireland today, including climate change, the housing crisis and diversity and inclusion.

Among the topics discussed emerged trans rights and issues, which became a point of contention between Sadhbh O’Neil and Laoise de Brún. The latter is the founder of The Countess, a small but vocal anti-trans lobby group that claims to be concerned about women’s healthcare and safeguarding schools while spreading dangerous misinformation about gender identity and trans issues.

During the debate, de Brún argued that trans women shouldn’t be allowed in women-only spaces. Editor of the University Times and GCN contributor, Brídín Ní Fhearraigh-Joyce, questioned de Brún asking “what makes her qualified” to talk about the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people, stating that as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, she has absolutely no problem with trans folk.

In her response to the question, de Brún discussed the Gender Recognition Act, saying that she has “no doubt it was brought in from a place of compassion (and) that’s a good thing” but that there is a “conflict of rights when it comes to sports, prisons, safe spaces… toilets.”

Sadhbh O’Neill took issue with her approach, saying: “What trans people want is respect and equality, and that is not so much to ask for in a world where we are supposed to guarantee civil liberties for everybody.”