The system is elitist because the seats are elected solely by people who hold university degrees. And even within this elitist community a form of elitism is also practised as only some degree holders are entitled to vote. The system is also the ultimate rotten borough in that a small electorate has a disportionate influence well beyond its population size. And even within this rotten borough a small-scale scandal exists: few of those who are entitled to vote actually bother to cast their ballot.

Five years ago, just over 100,000 individuals with degrees from the colleges attached to the National University of Ireland were entitled to vote in their three seat Seanad constituency. Only 32,000 bothered and, with 26 spoiling their vote, the turnout was a paltry 32%. The voters to fill the three seats ring-fenced for Trinity College did a little better. The TCD electorate in 2002 was just over 38,000 but only 14,000 degree holders actually voted. The turnout was just shy of 37%.

There would be a national outcry if such low turnout levels were witnessed in a general election. They are ignored in the Seanad election precisely because the Upper House is not considered relevant.

But there is a secondary issue to university seat turnout which might just raise the ire of the wider public . . . wasted money.

The Seanad contest is a postal election.

The ballot papers are sent by registered post to all NUI and TCD graduates. Thousands of these registered letters are then returned because the electoral register is out-of-date. It is out-of-date because it contains thousands of incorrect addresses for graduates. New research shows that the inaccurate elector register in the current contest will lead to 1.8m letters being sent unnecessarily by register post at a cost to the taxpayer of 600,000.

As part of his campaign, TCD candidate Sean O'Connor commissioned a study of the register of Trinity and NUI graduates. The report from Experian consultants revealed that the NUI register was 67% incorrect while the TCD register was 57% incorrect.

The taxpayer funds the cost of sending one canvass letter to every graduate on the register for each university candidate.

On that basis, the Experian analysis indicates that the 11 candidates on the TCD panel and the 24 candidates on the NUI panel have sent out 1.8m registered letters to incorrect addresses over the last few weeks.

"This is a shambles and highlights a massive waste of public money by the universities in managing the Senate elections, " O'Connor said this weekend. "I have been seeking Senate reform for some time now and I hope that this new information will shock the government into taking action."

O'Connor may, however, be left waiting for governmental action although his desire to see reform of Seanad Eireann is not unique. Almost all the canvass literature sent by the 25 university hopefuls contains the word 'reform'. An overhaul of the Seanad has been the subject of numerous reports over the last 30 years and was recently considered by a committee chaired by the last environment minister Dick Roche.

The drafters of the 1937 constitution created Seanad Eireann as a new institution with 60 members. A constituency of 43 seats is elected by local councillors, TDs and outgoing Senators. Another 11 seats are nominated by the Taoiseach of the day.

The remaining six seats are filled by graduates from TCD and the NUI colleges. The world has changed significantly since 1937.

New third level institutions have been created. A referendum passed in 1979 allowed the Oireachtas to change the law to allow degree holders from these new institutions the right to vote for the six university seats.

But no government has ever bothered to give effect to the 1979 referendum. The result is that in the election currently underway degree holders from Dublin City University, the University of Limerick and the various institutes of technology are excluded. But it may well be that the question of reform has already moved beyond giving a Seanad vote to graduates from the new third level sector. Perhaps the pertinent question is, should there be an Upper House at all?

SEANAD ELECTIONS 2002 FFFG Lab PD Ind Administrative Panel (7 seats). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 2 1 - - Agricultural Panel (11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 4 1 - - Cultural and Educational Panel (5). . . . . . . . . .3 2 - - - Industrial and Commercial Panel (9). . . . . .5 3 1 - - Labour Panel (11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 4 1 - - National University of Ireland (3). . . . . . . . . . . . - - 1 - 2 University of Dublin (3). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ----3 Taoiseach's nominees (11). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 - - 4 1 TOTAL 30 15 5 4 6

WHO'S WHO IN THE ROTTEN BOROUGHS: Conor McMorrow profiles the Seanad candidates for the NUI and TCD

National University

Name: Valerie Bresnihan Background: Independent.
Platform: The social and human rights researcher has campaigned for improved conditions in prisons as Chairperson of the Irish Penal Reform Trust. Also involved in the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, and worked for Concern in Sri Lanka after the tsunami.

Name: Shane Brodbin Background: Independent
Platform: The product manager wants more affordable childcare, a more patient-focused healthcare system, to develop a pan-national EU cancer research foundation and better broadband access.

Name: Mark Connolly Background: Independent Platform: "nancial services of"cial from Cork Name: Liam Crowley Background: Fianna Fail (former director of elections in Kerry South) Platform: The Killorglin based solicitor is a member of the Garda Complaints Board, wants to ensure continued prosperity, and believes "a greater sense of patriotism by each of us will assist society in dealing with future economic developments."

Name: Mark Garavan Background:

Independent/spokesman for the Shell-to-Sea campaign Platform: A sociology lecturer at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, he will campaign for ecological and environmental protection with the Corrib gas project topping his list .

Name: Paddy Healy Background: Independent Platform: The former TUI President has been put forward by that organisation and he wants to "give education a new priority for its own sake" and look for a remedy for indiscipline in schools, smaller class sizes, and more third level funding.

Name: Dr John Hillery Background: Independent Platform: Son of former president Dr Patrick Hillery, the president of the Irish Medical Council for the last three years has stepped down to contest the Seanad elections and he wants to ensure continued reform in the Health Services, promotion of the rights of the vulnerable and reform of the senate to make it more representative of different voices in Irish society.

Name: Martin Hogan Background: Green Party Platform: Works in the Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Dun Laoghaire where he mentors new start-up businesses in the technology sector. Manifesto includes plans for healthcare, education, ending corruption and better broadband.

Name: John Kennedy Background: Young Fine Gael Platform: The 24-year-old from Goatstown in Dublin works in the computer industry and sees the FG General Election Youth Manifesto as a cornerstone of his campaign. He wants to attack high housing costs, high childcare costs and traf"c congestion leading to long commuting times that face young people.

Name: Martina Lowe Background: Independent Platform: The Director of Get Ahead, the national forum for graduates with disabilities, is hoping to get elected to the Seanad to raise awareness of disability issues and help other marginalised people. Since losing her eyesight in 1993 due to viral meningitis, she has undergone retraining, re-education and got a new job with the Association for Higher Education Access and Disability.

Name: Daithi MacCarthaigh Background: Independent Platform: The barrister and Irish language enthusiast is President of Conradh na Gaeilge and lives in the Rath Chairn Gaeltacht in Meath.

Stood unsuccessfully for the Seanad in 2002. Among his priorities are reform of language teaching, disability legislation, "nancial aid for sustainable energy initiatives, and sentencing guidelines for sex offenders.

Name: Oonagh Monahan Background: Independent Platform: The young business manager wants to highlight issues such as homelessness, MRSA, mental health and suicide and rural development in the Seanad. Under the banner "Let's shake things up!"

Monahan says she is "genuinely interested in being elected, and not merely appointed as a consolation for failing to be elected as a TD, or as a semi-retirement plan."

Name: Ronan Mullen Background: Independent Platform: Columnist with the Irish Daily Mail, a lecturer in Law and Communications in the Institute of Technology, Blanchardstown and a practicing barrister. A native of Ahascragh, Co Galway, he is a former press of"cer of the Dublin Catholic diocese and among his priorities are having "a structured yet generous immigrant policy."

Name: Bernie O'Callaghan Background: Independent Platform: From Killybegs, Co Donegal, he is a former technical of"cer with the Army bomb disposal corps and is now a hotelier. He has been heavily involved in sports coaching. He wants to promote drugs prevention, establish a cancer care centre in the North West, increase Breast Check facilities and reduce class sizes.

Name: Liam O Gogain Background: Independent Platform: The Dundalk based lecturer in electronics is standing to raise awareness of fathers' rights. He stood in the recent general election and in 2002, caused controversy when the Louth returning of"cer refused to allow his chosen job title 'Father and College Lecturer' to appear on the ballot paper.

Name: Dr Mary O'Riordan Background: Independent Platform: Limerick based medical doctor.

Name: Linda O'Shea Farren Background: Independent Platform: Chairman of the NUI's of"cers of convocation, the Dublin 4 based solicitor is a human rights activist. Previously Nora Owen's programme manager and twice ran for the Seanad on a Fine Gael ticket.

Name: Bernadine O'Sullivan Background: Independent Platform: Secondary school teacher in Cabra, Dublin, and ex-President of the ASTI, she is running on "the centrality of a properly funded education system in a democracy."

She said, "In Seanad Eireann I would be your voice for a third level education system where those who avail of, work in and are retired from education are properly funded."

Name: Joe O'Toole Background: Independent Senator Platform: refers to himself as an "educator, negotiator, legislator and representative with a proven record" in his literature. He has contributed to educational development, has been a negotiator in national wage agreements and promises to "ght for improved pension rights, better health services and minority rights.

Name: Susan Philips Background: Independent Platform: Founder of Wicklow-based Ballyfree Farms, she refers to herself as a political analyst, broadcaster, agri-businesswoman and community activist on her website. Having spent 14 years as an independent councillor in Wicklow, she studied politics in UCD, graduating with an M Litt last year.

Name: Brendan Price Background: Independent EcoCandidate Platform: Bills himself as "Ireland's most effective wildlife campaigner and your answer to peak oil and climate change." He is the founder of Ireland's "rst seal sanctuary.

Name: Daniel K Sullivan Background: Independent Platform: The UL graduate is a disability activist and wants a reversal of the imposition of residential charges on disabled adults, a commitment to funding research and facilitating lifelong learning, Dublin University Name: Ivana Bacik Background: Labour party member and 2004 Euro election candidate Platform: The Reid Professor of Law at TCD stands for "education for all, reform of the Seanad, radical social and environmental policy, tackling discrimination, working for women's rights, rethinking criminal justice and equality in healthcare."

Name: Shay Conway Background: Independent Platform: The research analyst and commercial mediator who lives in Terenure calls for more affordable houses for young people, better transport infrastructure and the use of mediation instead of courts.

Name: Stephen Douglas Background: Parliamentary adviser to Labour's Mary Upton and former advisor to Green TD Ciaran Cuffe Platform: Trained as a planning and litigation lawyer, Douglas wants to advance a fairer society, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and secure best practice in the planning process.

Name: Ike Efobi Background: Independent Platform: Nigerian born Efobi is a member of Fianna Fail and wants to be the "rst black man ever elected to the Seanad. He put himself through Trinity at night whilst providing for his wife and children, gaining a computer quali"cation. Now wants to help marginalised people in society, immigrants and mature students.

Name: Dr Maurice Gueret Background: Independent Platform: the editor of the Irish Medical Directory and former member of Fianna Fail, he is standing to replace retiring Sen Mary Henry and "represent Trinity on important scienti"c and healthcare matters."

Name: David Hutchinson Edgar Background: Has served on the national council for the Green party Platform: A lecturer in early Christianity and its literature in TCD, Edgar is a member of the executive committee of the Irish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Education, the environment, transport, energy, health and human rights are the tenets of his manifesto.

Name: Rosaleen McDonagh Background: Independent Platform: the "rst Traveller to run for the Irish Seanad in 2002. She graduated from Trinity with a BA in Biblical and Theological Studies and then went on to do a MPhil in Ethnic and Racial Studies. Aside from her work with the National Traveller Women's Forum, she has a disability and is standing on an anti-racism and equality platform.

Name: David Martin Background: Independent Platform: One of two ASTI-endorsed Seanad candidates, Martin is running on a strong education platform where he is seeking smaller class sizes, better facilities for children with special needs and more funding for the education of children who have English as a second language.

Name: David Norris Background: Independent Senator Platform: Joycean scholar, broadcaster and academic, Norris has pledged to continue his work as a human rights activist maintaining a special interest in foreign affairs while keeping his eye on issues in Trinity such as saving the Long Room.

Name: Sean O'Connor Background: Independent Platform: From Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, he cites environmental reform and greater political support for sport as two of his election platforms.

Name: Shane Ross Background: Independent Platform: Current Senator and Business Editor of the Sunday Independent, Ross pledges to continue campaigning against the M50 toll bridge, against banks and auctioneers and abuses, and for better broadband access, the environment and better childcare provision.