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The government will debate and most likely introduce new rules for a presidential election this week. The new rules mean that one additional option is added to the nomination process: In future a candidate can also be nominated by getting 10 000 signatures from supporters.
Not really relevant for another 7 years, but a good idea.
If they now change the rule that you have to be an Irish citizen to apply, I might go for it myself the next time. :-)))
The government’s decentralisation project is finally being more or less terminated. It never made any sense, was a failed Fianna Fail idea from the start and was only invented to please people outside of Dublin so that they would vote for Fianna Fail.
www.rte.ie/news/2011/1117/publicservice.html
Unfortunately, though, in quite a number of locations buildings or sites have been bought years ago (when they were most expensive) or long term leases have been signed. So this nonsensical idea will be with us and will cost us for quite some time.
Ireland’s new president Michael D Higgins started his new 7 year job last Friday and as it is custom (and protocol), he started with a speech that outlined his approach to the job at a celebration in Dublin Castle.
The full speech is here: www.rte.ie/news/2011/1111/higgins_speech.html
It wasn’t the most momentous speech, but I guess an inauguration speech like that can’t easily be momentous.
However there was one outstanding aspect: Michael D Higgins talked about a rebuilding of Irishness, he mentioned the Irish diaspora and emigration. But with no word he mentioned us ‘New Irish’, who are not Irish citizens, but who nevertheless contribute regularly and consistently to the economy and culture in Ireland. No reference to the multicultural Ireland. No reference to imigration. He totally ignored that Ireland is NOT just filled with Irish citizens anymore.
Sure, we were not allowed to contribute at the presidential election, but that’s not enough of a justification to exclude hundreds of thousand of people in this ‘new’ Ireland.
EXclusion was not what I had expected from Michael D Higgins!
In an unexpected move the European Central Bank (ECB) has reduced the interest rate last week from 1.5% down to 1.25%. (www.independent.ie/business/european/boost-for-mortgage-holders-as-ecb-cuts-interest-rates-2925263.html)
Since most banks in Ireland are now owned by the state, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has warned the banks that laws could be introduced that would force the banks to pass on interest rate cuts if they don’t do that now. (www.independent.ie/national-news/pass-on-ecb-interest-rate-cut-kenny-warns-banks-2926680.html)
And what did most banks? They ignored the warning! I guess this “game” Bank vs Government resulted in a 1:0.
The AIB and the NIB have declared that they will not pass on the rate cuts, the ESB will pass them on and the Bank of Ireland has not made a statement yet, but there are expectations that they won’t pass on the cuts either. (www.rte.ie/news/2011/1109/mortgage-business.html)
Based on the preliminary indications, Michael D Higgins will be the Irish president for the next 7 years. This was not my preference, but I am not dismayed. In the end the president can’t do much anyway and i am sure Higgins will do an ok job.
However, I was hoping that Aras an Uachterain would not just a retirement home for a has-been politician and unfortunately that’s what it most likely will be.
Higgins might have been a strong and convincing politician in his younger years, but recently he is more known for citing poetry and for speaking in Irish.
The two previous presidents (Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese) had the same limited ability to achieve anything of substance, but they did push the boundaries a little. I expect that Higgins will not push anything.
He won’t screw up anything either, so no progress was made, no step forward and nothing beneficial to expect, but his probably election is no terrible disaster. …just a bit of a disappointment.
Considering that he is already too old for the role, we can be quite certain that he won’t stay longer in it than 7 years.
