For barrister Ade Oluborode, the decision to run for the Seanad byelection was largely motivated by the lack of parliamentary representation for those in the "new community".
Comprising people who were not born in Ireland, or who have no Irish heritage, the new community represents about 20 per cent of Irish society, she said, adding that no elected Oireachtas member currently comes from this cohort.
Ms Oluborode is originally from Nigeria and has lived in Ireland for almost two decades.
“There is a scope to bring these people in. One in five people belong to this category and at a parliamentary level, there is no representation whatsoever,” she said.
“The Government can never know what these people need or what they want, without bringing them on board. There is a saying that there is no representation for us without representation from us.”
Ms Oluborode is running for the vacant Trinity College Dublin (TCD) seat; a vacancy which arose after long-serving TCD senator Ivana Bacik won the Dublin Bay South Dáil byelection as a Labour Party candidate in July.
There are 17 candidates running for the seat. Ballot papers were issued on February 25th and polls will close at 11 am on March 30th.
Ms Oluborode is running as an independent candidate as she said she did not wish to be whipped to a party position.
“I need to stand true to myself without being hindered by political party ties. You cannot scrutinise the party that gives you a role,” she added.
The mother of three has two key priorities she would pursue if elected: increasing funding for third level education, particularly Trinity College, and advocating for diversity, equality and inclusion.
“Third level has been grossly underfunded since 2008. This cannot continue. The Government underfunded housing and housing became a crisis. Like they did in health, and health became a crisis. If third level continues to be underfunded, it will soon turn into crisis mode,” she said.
“Education is my passion. I have a lifelong commitment to it. It is a common good.”
If successful in her bid for election, Ms Oluborode will seek to break down the barriers for people accessing education, and to increase the employability of Irish graduates internationally.
Trinity College has a role in making future world leaders, she said, adding that funding is the biggest barrier in achieving that status internationally.
Ms Oluborode also seeks to advance the rights of the elderly, people with disabilities, families, women and children.
Asked what advocating for equality actually means in practice, Ms Oluborode said that is where her background in law will be most useful.
“The work of a Senator is to scrutinise legislation and to hold Government accountable. To shine light on things that are overlooked. More than ever, Ireland is becoming highly diverse and multi-national. We can no longer have a narrow, public policy view.”
Ms Oluborode is a practising barrister-at-law and a committee member of Comhshaol, the climate bar association. She also works with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
Prior to her career in law, she worked in academia, medical and biotechnological research, real estate, financial services and the public sector.
This experience, she believes, would be an added benefit to her if elected.
“Having experienced so much in society, being deeply integrated and having seen the different things in communities and society that we should change. I have seen what I can do to help and assist,” she said.
“Going for election was just a natural progression, it was just a question of when the time would be right. I want to inject energy and passion into the Seanad.”
