Ade Oluborode Bio

My name is Ade Oluborode, I have lived happily in Ireland for twenty years with my husband and three children, two of whom are in Trinity College and my youngest in her junior cycle.

I am a practising Barrister in the Bar of Ireland. I work primarily in civil practice and have represented clients and provided legal opinions in broad areas of law including EU Law, human rights issues, international protection appeals hearings, personal injury claims, family law matters, mortgage proceedings, contract law and cross border jurisdictional issues.

In addition to my practice, I am a member of the Advisory Committee on the Future of Equality Legislation of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. I am also a committee member of Comhshaol, the Climate Bar Association which is a specialist association set up to be a thought leader of climate law expertise here in Ireland and to act at the forefront of environmental justice and law. These memberships position me to participate actively in the development of public policies, proper legal structures and governance to hold the public and private sector accountable for reaching the international commitments to which Ireland has signed up to.

Prior to being called to the Bar I worked in critical sectors of our economy including a government department, financial services, real estate, academia, environmental protection and biotechnological research spanning over three decades. I also provided pro bono services in the community and in the charitable sectors. Beyond the financial gains of earning a living, the greatest satisfaction that I enjoyed in these roles are the people that I connect with and the values that I add to people’s everyday lives.

I have decided to run for the Trinity Seanad By-Election because it is the right time for me to give back to our nation. As a society, we need to fully take on board the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion in order to foster a more integrated and cohesive society for us and our future generation, enabling Ireland to metamorphose into a truly progressive and modern society equipped to face the various challenges of our times.
If elected, I will advocate for greater equality, diversity and inclusion, not only in our political system, but throughout the wider society including equitable access to education, employment, housing and health services. Another major part of my role will be to support Trinity College to contribute more to the economy of Dublin and to play a pivotal role in ensuring that Ireland continues to be a force to be reckoned with in proffering innovative solutions to global challenges.

My own university education began in Nigeria where I graduated from the University of Lagos with a first-class honours degree in Biology, followed by distinctions in MSc Microbiology.

As part of my journey to build a new life in Ireland, I studied for a masters in Real Estate, acquired a Masters in Public Health, a Postgraduate Diploma in Finance, a Diploma in Legal Studies from the Honorable Society of Kings Inns, followed by my professional qualification as a Barrister-at-Law and a certificate in Aviation Finance and Leasing from the Law Society of Ireland among other qualifications.

If elected to the Seanad, I will utilise the knowledge gained through my highly diverse education in life sciences, public health, finance, real estate and law; in addition to my practice experience and legal competence, my scientific and biotechnological background, as well as my specialist skills in the environmental sciences, public health and my professional experience of academic, government, health and financial sectors to make strong contributions to parliamentary debates and committees, to scrutinise legislations and to hold the government accountable.

My two priorities are:

• To promote TCD for increased funding, improved global reputation including its QS University World Ranking and to enable it to play a greater role in educating world leaders
• To advance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) including the rights of the elderly, people with disabilities, families, women and children; and to advocate for greater integration of new communities including political representation

The change starts with me. I am asking for your Number One Vote to ensure that change doesn’t stop with me. Together we can lead our political system and society towards greater inclusion, diversity, equality in the interests of all.