Reshaped presidency has been a breath of fresh air
THE office of President of Ireland was radically reshaped, and for the better in my opinion, during and consequent to the 1990 presidential campaign, when the rotation of Fianna Fáil politicians into the office was ended.
This abrupt termination was largely due to Brian Lenihan Snr having to admit ‘on mature recollection’ to an inappropriate phone call to Patrick Hillery, and party colleague Pádraig Flynn ridiculing Mary Robinson’s ‘newfound interest in her family’.
Since then, presidents Mary Robinson, Mary McAleese and now Michael D Higgins have probed and pushed the limits of the Constitutional ‘specification’ of Uachtarán na hÉireann.
Only this past week we saw President Higgins take European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to task for her stated support of Israel.
I don’t necessarily agree with him on this, or indeed other statements that he and his two predecessors have made, but what I’m very thankful for is that the office of President will never again be a retirement home for ‘favoured’ politicians, where the incumbent signs Bills and hands out seals of office when he or she is not otherwise engaged with greeting foreign heads of state or opening community centres.
Michael Gannon, Kilkenny city.
War crimes in Gaza
THE forced displacement of a million Palestinians who have nowhere to go is a blatant war crime. It guarantees nothing for Israel except death and destruction. It could in fact make Hamas stronger and create a wider war in the region.
The Irish Government must openly condemn this action by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations to address the root cause of the conflict, which is based on decades of suppression of Palestinian people by successive Israeli governments who steal their lands and shoot them dead on a weekly basis.
Noel Harrington, Kinsale, Co. Cork
Toughen up, minister
I WOULD imagine the last thing Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac
Lochlainn thought was that he would be accused of misogyny by Fine Gael junior minister
Jennifer Carroll MacNeill over a glib remark he made to her on television.
Fair dues to Mary Carr last Sunday (MoS, October 15) for reminding the junior minister that success in politics often involves developing a tough skin. It’s refreshing to hear a woman telling it as it is.
I am all for calling out blatant misogynists but I believe that this was an unthinking faux pas on the part of the Sinn Féin TD and certainly not something to make such an issue of.
It was the late British publisher and writer Ernest Benn who once said: ‘Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it
everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.’
John O’Brien, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Embrace the anthem
THE playing of the IRFU’s compromise anthem, Ireland’s Call, at Irish international rugby matches, which may be regarded by some as politically expedient in a partitioned island, is insulting. It is my view that, like our national flag, our anthem should not be compromised.
Any players honoured by being selected to represent this nation in any sport, who feel unable to respect our anthem and flag, should do the honourable thing and render themselves unavailable for selection.
Furthermore, the Government should make it clear to all Irish sporting organisations that the national anthem is Amhrán na
bhFiann, not Ireland’s Call. Any chance the IRFU, and the other sports bodies that refuse to play Amhrán na bhFiann, might line out with the rest of us?
Tom Cooper, Templeogue, Dublin.
Pay for your children
I agree with part of what John
Lee wrote last week (MoS, October 15). However, there are two issues he did not address.
Firstly, it is not acceptable for the future of any society that people have lots of children and then walk around with their hands out for money and houses for them to grow up in. Societies will eventually collapse under such a load. Parents must have only the children they can look after themselves.
Secondly, we have not had a health service for many years. We have an illness service. What percentage of their time and budget does the ‘health’ department spend in schools explaining how to stay healthy?
Richard Barton, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.