Sir, – Stephen Collins may disagree with the President’s recent public statements on the conflict in the Middle East but he is wrong to say that the President stepped outside his constitutional role in making them (“President Higgins’s pronouncements on foreign policy are reckless, inappropriate and dangerous”, Opinion & Analysis, October 20th).
The Supreme Court in its judgment in Right to Know CLG -v- Commissioner for Environmental Information & Ors, delivered on April 29th, 2022, held that the one of the President’s constitutional functions is to act as a leader of civil society, removed from party politics and impeccably neutral while engaging public debate on broad themes of public concern.
In that role, the Supreme Court observed that “recent Presidents have promoted the causes of diversity, innovation and encouraged the sciences and the arts. It could be said that the exercise of these functions the President benefits the public, advances the common good, expresses the ideals of democracy or the ideals of good neighbourliness at home and at an international level. These functions are in no sense decision-making or policy-making functions, but rather operate at a constitutional level and as a reflection of domestic values and principles.”
Therefore the President, in speaking to the people of Ireland about the Israel-Palestine conflict, acted quite properly and constitutionally. – Yours, etc,
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FRED LOGUE,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – Does Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs reside at Iveagh House or the Phoenix Park? – Yours, etc,
PJ MALONEY,
Cloneyheigue,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – Unlike Stephen Collins, I’ve never been more assured that Ireland has the right man in the right job.
The President’s wisdom and position have enabled a refreshing and refined voice to be heard from this island.
He makes me so proud to be Irish. – Yours, etc,
CONOR KENNEDY,
Portmarnock,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – President Higgins has no mandate to embarrass our Government and should desist or face a visit from the Taoiseach to remind him of his job description. – Yours, etc,
THOMAS MORRIS GORMALLY,
Rathangan,
Co Kildare.
Sir, – Stephen Collins article is misguided and ill-conceived. He points out that the Government’s role is to devise a reaction to the current crisis and that the President has no role to play. The President, as a representative of the people and a guardian of the Constitution, has a role separate from Government and can when he sees fit be a voice for the people. It would appear the President’s remarks were representative of the majority of the people of Ireland, in stark contrast to Ursula von der Leyen, who appeared to react to events with the weight of her country’s history on her mind, and not as the head of the European Commission.
It is clear the President felt unable to stay silent as recent events unfolded. It is also clear that the President is well versed in the context of the situation: ongoing breaches of international law, ingrained apartheid regime, decades-long persecution, and consistent rhetoric from the Israeli state aimed at dehumanising the Palestinian people.
The President was elected for a second term by the people, as a representative of the people and now he speaks for the people. We thank him. – Yours, etc,
SIOBHÁN CONLON,
Kimmage,
Dublin 12.
Sir, – The Taoiseach, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of State for European Affairs and the Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora are the appropriate chief national representatives for commentary on foreign policy.
The office of President, continuing in the tradition established by the first incumbent of the role, Douglas Hyde, is constitutionally an apolitical one. The foray of President Higgins into a contentious and febrile domain of foreign policy, and with comments that could reasonably be said to undermine the effective political standing of the president of the European Commission, should be ultimately seen as unwelcome.
It should be noted that the Taoiseach made a statement calling for humanitarian principles to be respected in Gaza which predated the intervention of President Higgins.
It needs to be understood that irrespective of whether such contributions as President Higgins has made are popular with some or not, it is not appropriate given our constitutional position. The President of Ireland doesn’t have the same comparative role as the president of France. – Yours, etc,
Cllr JOHN KENNEDY,
(Fine Gael),
Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County
Council Offices,
Dún Laoghaire,
Co Dublin.