The two ballot papers I am selling are for the university panels in the Seanad Eireann election. Graduates of Trinity College and the National University of Ireland (UCD, UCC, UCG and Maynooth) get to elect six Seanad members. I have degrees from both TCD and UCD so I get two votes. It's a type of elitism that should not exist in any republic. Those with degree qualifications from Dublin City University, the University of Limerick and the various institutes of technology are excluded. I used to believe that the system should be reformed to give graduates from those institutions a Seanad vote. But I have changed my position . . . such a reform would only consolidate what is already a system of privilege. Just because an individual has a third level degree should not entitle him or her to have an exclusive say in the election of members to the Upper House. You pay your fees, get your exams and do your research, so you get a degree. Thanks very much and goodbye. It is wrong that with the degree comes the perk of belonging to a select little club. Parliament belongs to the people, not some of the people.

Of course the club is even smaller than the numbers with TCD and NUI degrees. Most university voters do not bother to vote. Five years ago, just over 100,000 individuals with degrees from the NUI colleges were entitled to vote in their three-seat Seanad constituency. Only 32,000 voted . . . a pathetic turnout of 32%. 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%.

I had been considering spoiling my two votes until I hit upon the idea of doing something useful with the ballot papers. If the Irish Cancer Society gains a few hundred euro, some good will have come from this election.

My decision is no disrespect to the 11 candidates on the TCD panel and the 24 candidates on the NUI panel.

They are an interesting collection of people who have all been sending canvass literature in the post over the last few weeks. So it is nothing personal, folks. I just think it's time this system, a legacy of old Ireland, needs to be ended, Abolishing the university seats on their own would be a futile gesture, a token move in the direction of Seanad reform. The Upper House needs real overhaul and that should start by changing the way all its members are elected. The current electoral process is a sham. Along with the six university seats, 43 positions are filled in a contest in which local councillors and Oireachtas members have a vote. There is no public outcry because so few people know exactly what goes on. Insiders keep quiet because one day they might just have to seek Seanad membership. The candidates are currently harassing voters with sweeteners including books, CDs and bottles of whiskey. I was at a funeral the other week at which a collection of candidates came to pay their respects to the deceased but also to canvass. Unedifying was too polite a word.

With 49 senators elected, the Taoiseach appoints the final 11 members of the Upper House. It's a good job with a decent salary, good expenses, generous allowances and free car parking in Dublin city centre for life.

So in the absence of an appetite to reform Seanad Eireann, my minimum bid of 250 per ballot paper is a small price to ask, especially as the money will go to a good cause.