Ruane launches crowd-funding campaign to subsidise Seanad bid

She is running on “a platform of education, childcare and access – be that access to fair pay, mental health services, healthcare or equal opportunities.”

NEWS

Lynn Ruane, president of Trinity College Dublin’s Students’ Union (TCDSU) and candidate in the Trinity constituency for Seanad Éireann, has announced a crowdfunding scheme to subsidise her election campaign.

She is running on “a platform of education, childcare and access – be that access to fair pay, mental health services, healthcare or equal opportunities.”

The crowdfunding scheme was publicised on Ruane’s political Facebook page accompanied by an explanation of the necessity of the financing. Ruane is running as an independent candidate and, as such, she “will receive no financial assistance from a national party fundraising network” and that her “campaign will be almost entirely self-funded.”

The Facebook status goes on to explain that the most significant overhead of the campaign will be printing literature to post to registered electors: “While the Exchequer pays for the postage, candidates have to pay for the printing of over 50,000 copies of their campaign literature to be sent to every graduate.”

Ruane can afford to cover €1,000 of this cost, according to the fundraising website, however the total expenditure adds up to €2,800.

In appealing for donations, she said: “Every euro donated will contribute to my efforts to reach as many Trinity graduates as possible” and that this will enable her to “increase my chances of being elected and advocating in the Seanad for the issues I have campaigned on my entire life.”

€880 has been raised by 23 donators in 10 days. Ruane commented on how quickly the call for backing was responded to: “It’s going really well… [It] was up to over 800 in a couple of days.” On the crowdfunding site, she stated that she was “overwhelmed and delighted” to have raised so much already.