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DANA ROSEMARY SCALLON has insisted she is not anti-Europe and said she does not believe she would have to sign legislation that would make abortion legal in Ireland if she were president.
Scallon is making her second bid for the presidency as an independent having run in 1997.
The former Eurovision winner has faced scrutiny for her positions on Europe and certain moral issues.
Speaking to the Right Hook on Newstalk this evening, she rejected accusations that based on her previous opposition to the Nice and Lisbon treaties, she was a Eurosceptic politician.
She insisted:
I am not anti Europe. I have always said that Europe, the concept of Europe is good. We want to be in Europe.
Scallon pointed to the fact that both the Nice and Lisbon treaties were put to the electorate on two occasions before they were passed, after being first rejected. She said that such processes were “undemocratic”.
She continued: “I am opposed to anything that takes the right of self determination from the Irish sovereign nation and from the people. That’s all. I am not against co-operating and I am not against being in Europe.”
The former MEP said she felt as if people with religious beliefs and conservative stances on certain moral issues were “not represented in most of the media” and added: “They’re regarded almost in a way in which they feel ridiculed.”
She outlined her own views on moral issues such as the family saying: “The family in this country is the unit of society that provides stability. If the family is broken and hurt, then society is broken and hurt.”
Scallon also said that she did not believe she would have to sign legislation legalising abortion in Ireland if she were to become president because it had been rejected in previous referenda, saying:
The people of Ireland do not want it and I’m very glad that they don’t.
In the wide-ranging interview, Scallon also insisted that she was happy to be referred to by her first name saying she was known by it “throughout the world”.
“Dana’s fine. That’s how people first know me and that’s fine,” she said.
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Be fair to all the victims. Springhill, Dublin/Monaghan, disappeared, the Finiucan family etc etc not this a la carte to dull a poll when someone you don’t like does well Kenny.
You are 100% right , we should be fair to all the victims, There should be no difference between the victims of
“Springhill, Dublin/Monaghan, the Finiucan family etc ” and the disappeared- So I take it you agree the disappeared deserve a proper funeral and there relatives like the relatives of the Springhill, Dublin/ Monaghan and the Finucane’s deserve an opportunity to grieve and get a sense of closure.
Ignoring the disappeared or their families effort should not be an a la cart method simply because the truth is unpalatable or one doesn’t like Enda.
Mick, If Enda was serious about caring, he would be making calls for a public Truth and Reconciliation forum.
But as usual, Kenny, FG, FF, Labour only cares about things that might make him look good and help their poll ratings versus what the right thing to do is.
Of course everyone on the Island would like to see the disappeared return to their families.
I would also like to see the Governments who imprisoned families of Dublin/Monaghan family survivors stand up and explain to the Irish people why they feel it right to intermittently put family members of the deceased into over night Garda detention every so often (on the whim of the sitting Minister for Justice). The last time it happened was only two years ago. Nobody in the press had the courage to report on it.
It sickens me to see Kenny, Miceal Martin and Gilmore feign support for these victims when they clearly couldnt give a damn about them and only use selected victims as ‘Political footballs’ :(
Like i have mentioned many times, if you are serious about wanting to support victims, then have the courage to support the calls for an internationally run ‘Truth and Reconciliation Forum’
There is never never a hierarchy of victims. Closure is a debatable concept borrowed from America. That aside most I hope want justice first and foremost. The Finiucans for example deserve a lot more than an opportunity to grieve and a sense of closure. I’d guess justice and truth would would deliver a lot more. Mr Kenny is captain of the ship with the power if he so chooses to selectively use it to F.G.’s ends then let him shoulder the fall out. All the victims deserve equal effort. Enda is ignoring many family’s of all said victims.
I will be honest I haven’t even read this article, as judging by the title it’s just another one of the smoke and mirror articles put out by the government on a weekly basis to detract from the real issues the economy. I’m currently living 5000 miles from my wife and family, due to the policies of FG, tax tax and more tax. I just finished a Skype call with my wife, who told me the local Gala, owned by a family friend is closing, I asked why? The owner apparently was struggling like everyone else but did his best to stay open and employ three locals, (village in the sticks), however due to the overwhelming new taxes including the crazy rates he has been left with no alternative but to close. Add four more to the dole que.
5,000 miles away. On the moon are you?
I will be honest I did not read your post but I imagine it is one of those “what about’ comments.
He might as well be on the moon for all the good Kenny and his government are doing.
If he was on the moon Egg, he’d be a cool 390,000km away, not 5000miles.
Touché
As expected the propaganda machine of Pauric and Egg, the Secret Service for the Fianna Fraud, Fine Gael, Labour cartel and the British MI5. Their fear and worst nightmare is truth!
So have the family’s under your spineless leadership
Hand back the keys kenny
I disliked your comment because it equated the loss that these families have faced and the not having closure to something which has a monetary value. Loosing a relative doesn’t have a monetary value, not knowing anything about their loss magnifies that loss quite significantly, one would imagine.
@ wander arch
I appreciate anybody who voices there opinion with honesty and integrity ..fair play & point taken
Families are suffering under this FG /Labour government,Stop trying to distract from the huge burden on families today because of Kenny and Co.
Is there any topic dat this man won’t cling onto just to shift focus from the economy
Oh the Shinners won’t like that. Prepared to be inundated! Somebody needs to check if the Americans are trying out mind control, piggy backing on the signal from the Journal. Regular contributors on here are beset by amnesia, presumably a side effect of the US’s cunning plan. Some can’t remember the last Government. Lets call them Soldiers of Destiny and others can’t remember 25 years of murder, bombings and robberies. Lets just call them Soldiers. They also use a lot of ink cartridges.
So I take it ye don’t like sinn fein Egg, no?
@Egg Mcmuffin
So you support a government that drives ordinary people into the ground with poverty by tax after tax in the name of fairness as the TDs live in luxury, You mus have a your head so far up your own A*s it would baffle science.
Irish brain-You’re asking me if I support a Government that has reduced the interest we paid on excruciating debt left by the last catastrophic Government, who have reduced our overall debt in real terms, who have got us back onto the open financial markets, who are about to pull us out of the bailout and restore our economic sovereignty, who have firmly put the Catholic Church in its place, who have restored our international reputation and who have tackled the Magdalene and Abortion issues which the last Government ran away from for 15 years? Yes. Yes I do. But then I’m not a whiney malcontent deluded enough to expect a magic wand solution to the nation threatening problems this country has in 2 years, like so many on here are.
You are obviously one of these people thats happy to see others made destitute to achieve your own goals just like this despot government , As for economic sovereignty at what cost to the ordinary people may i ask, Not to mention bailing out bondholders without any need to do so ect,ect . As far as reputation is concerned Kenny and Co have Zero just read the FG election program for government or the Beno.
Yeah, the bondholders were paid for no reason at all. It wasn’t a condition of our bailout. The Government did it because they reckoned there were votes in it. Cop yourself on, would you?
ECT or electroconvulsive therapy is used by psychiatrists to treat certain disorders. I have no idea how you can justify mentioning this in your post.
My comment about ECT was meant for TheIrishBrain.
Well it hasn’t done much for you, O Laighin.
Good one.
Egg, we’re in “RECESSION” which spells economic decline, what are you mumbling on about…..you Fine Gael sewer-mouth! :)
What about….? The usual parroted responses will follow.
Every murder is wrong, no matter who carried it out.
However what makes some murders more heinous than others is the psychological torture inflicted on those left behind by the fact they don’t have a loved one to bury and bring a sense of closure.
Endas job gives him a broad spectrum to focus on such as from cocking up my families future to pleading with murderers to do the right thing and give over the body, this article focuses on one part of Endas responsibilities yet the death eaters consistently ignore the sufferings of the families and spout crap what about …
Show some compassion,
On a side note- why aren’t the ira and other organisations that “disappeared ” victims paying for the searches?
Mick,
That would bankrupt FF/FG/Labour. They supported the burying of evidence of 34 people murdered in 1 day in one coordinated attack in Dublin/Monaghan. Over 250 people maimed for life, 34 people dead (mostly women).
They have deliberately covered it up to this day. How much would the victims of that attack cost the party’s in terms of reparations? I am guessing that there must be 1000′s pf surviving family members of that atrocity alone at thise stage.
Ends Shut up. FG are the only party not helping and talking to political parties of Northern Ireland moving forward. Instead he brings up these topics all the time. What about his own policies of being a teacher, having his job available when he wants it and being able to claim 2 pensions. So Enda Cop on and do you job and sort out this mess that your banking buddies and FF got us in.
What about files of the disappeared
Enda what about the families who have suffered under you unnecessarily under your austerity regime, all because you are a spineless little coward who couldn’t stand up to the EU. Make them your priority you slime ball.
What about the families who are suffering because of the austerity imposed by years of economic mismanagement by Bertie?
Ask Gerry Adams he knows where all the bodies are buried, he was chief of staff of the IRA!!
Oliver, as the leader of the party you support, most pertinently, ask the leader of the party you support why they deliberately covered up the largest mass murder of the troubles?
Ask them why they locked up some family members of the victims in Garda cells without charges on almost every anniversary since the massacre?
When you answer the last question, i will support your request for answer on your question. I really hate Political partys using the troubles as political footballs.
Oliver, is your Party Hero Charles Haughey guilty of anything in relation to supplying arms to the same IRA that you are so worried about?
Do you see any probs with Miceal Martin curtsying to Her Majesty, when successive Irish Governments pretend to scream and kick that they cant gain access to the MI5 files that lead to the single largest slaughter of innocence during the entire 30 years of the troubles.
Carlsberg don’t do Hypocrisy, but if they did it would probably be based on FF’s two-faced hypocrisy. Seeing as you are so intereted in truth and justice… want to spill the beans on what Moriarrty, Mahon and the future banking inquiries tell us about the wretched sickness that is FF?
Gerry Adams I forgot was never a member of the IRA! Haha
Miceal Martin, the money was just resting in my wifes bank account.
Bertie Ahearne, Miceal Martin has my back.
Brian Cowen, easy target … excuse the pun.
Charles Haughey, the country needs to tighten its belt, while i wear 500 euro shirts, buy myself an Island…
Please FF have changed people. Miceal Martin, Bertie Ahearne and all the previous FF leaders swore it to us.
Party of thieves and the party still continues.
Why do all FF pols look like they’ve had their snouts in the trough for a little too long? It’s a mystery…
Kenny talking about the north just look at what that Muppet and his band of Clowns have done to the Irish People .
have your say