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(Foireann Gaeltachta The Journal a chuir an scéal seo ar fáil. Tá leagan as Gaeilge anseo.)
THE NEW PRESIDENT is on a bridge between her time as an active Dáil member and candidate for election campaign and her new life now in Áras an Uachtaráin, the columnist and former Morning Ireland presenter Cathal Mac Coille has said.
Mac Coille, who writes a regular column for the Irish language news website Tuairisc and contributes his views to numerous current affairs programmes on TG4, RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta and elsewhere, was speaking to The Journal after Catherine Connolly was inaugurated as the 10th president of Ireland and was basing his opinion on her inaugural address in Dublin Castle on Tuesday.
Mac Coille described the new President’s speech as “measured” and explained that the speech showed that the President had been careful about her comments on certain issues that could cause tension between Áras an Uachtaráin and Leinster House.
He said that the President had recognised this change on the night she was elected and that this was also evident in her inaugural address but it wasn’t clear if she had actually made the transition.
“It is clear that she understands and is comfortable with the change in role and is committed to the goals and issues she wanted to focus on.
“She has not yet shown that she has completed that change, but I would not expect that.”
He also said that there was “great substance in the speech”, saying that it was “substantial” and “very detailed on various topics, especially the topics she mentioned during the campaign”.
“There were hints of the approach she will follow in the future.”
The commentator particularly noted one sentence from the President’s speech which was in the Irish portion of the address.
“You, she said, and I have the exact quote here:
“You who have dealt with and are having g to deal with the lack of services and needs on a daily basis, these services that should not be lacking in such a wealthy country.”
According to Mac Coille, this is a statement that could give the Taoiseach and his Government colleagues food for thought in the days since the inauguration.
“She is focusing on a matter that is, you could say, generally related to her responsibilities as President but not related to her Presidency in any way because it is a matter of policy and the approach of Government and the implementation of Government policies.”
He compared that statement to what her predecessor, President Michael D. Ó Higgins, said about the housing crisis when he called it “scandalous”. According to him, President Connolly was focusing on a few details in that statement and that was a sign that she might be happy with other things that would be to focus on details to say out loud on other occasions.
He said that it could happen that if she went to a place of need, a health centre or an educational establishment for example, and it happened that a lack of services was brought to her attention, she could say something at that time that would cause tension with the Government because she would be willing to focus on the matter in even more detail than her predecessor.
He also referred to what President Connolly had to say about neutrality and what could happen if the Dáil and Seanad passed a Bill getting rid of the triple lock and that Bill came before the President for legislation.
In the President’s address, she did not refer to the triple lock but said that the country had a long tradition of neutrality and that the population had treasured that tradition and there was also reference to the country’s peacekeeping
“It is remarkable but the reference was very careful and measured.”
He said, however, that there could be a conflict between the President and the Government in the event that a Bill was passed that would seek to end the triple lock and she might refer that Bill to the Supreme Court as permitted by the Constitution.
He referred to the Treaty of Nice which was rejected for the first time and was not accepted until the Government had promised that the triple lock would be in place regarding the country’s neutrality.
There are opinions on both sides of this – the Government says that is not the same as saying that it cannot be changed, that a referendum is not needed to change it but many people will say that a referendum is needed.
He said that this could be a “live issue” for President Connolly.
He also said that what she said about the unity of the country was also careful in that there was no reference to a referendum or the like.
Like every Irish speaker he welcomed what she said about the Irish language and in Irish in the speech.
“There is an Irish speaker in the House, which makes it a source of encouragement and will make everyone happy, every Irish, everyone with Irish, every Irish speaker in the country.”
Regarding President Connolly’s commitment that Irish will be the working language of the House, he had this to say.
I don’t think Irish will be spoken in the kitchen or in the garden, she will be speaking it with her councillors and her own office staff.
“I’m not making a small thing of it but I wouldn’t make a big deal of it either.”
He said that there was a lot in the speech, that she had “aroused a lot of talk” and that she probably would have more to say.
The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
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