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President Mary McAleese welcoming US President Barack Obama to the Áras last month. Paul Faith/PA Wire
The Daily PollPoll: Should the presidency be scrapped?
What do you think? Should we call time on the office of the Irish president?
THE NUMBER of prospective presidential candidates for this year’s elections keeps growing, as former MEP Avril Doyle is reportedly gauging support within the ranks of Fine Gael before putting her name forward.
Fine Gael already has three candidates, while the Labour Party is meeting today to decide which of its three declared candidates will get the party’s nomination.
Meanwhile, journalist Niall O’Dowd is courting Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil for their nominations; neither party has yet announced a single candidate. Independent senator David Norris has been meeting with a number of local authorities to build support for his presidential bid.
But what do you think about the Irish presidency? Do you think it is important and should be retained, or is it an added expense and office that the state simply doesn’t need?
Poll Results:
Yes, keep the presidency (1041)
No, it's time to get rid of it (468)
Don't know (51)
have your say