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Davis promises to appoint intellectually disabled person to Council of State

Mary Davis tells an Inclusion Ireland debate that she would appoint a person with intellectual disabilities to the Council of State.

MARY DAVIS has pledged to appoint a person with intellectual disabilities to the Council of State – the first time in history that such a person would have sat on the Council.

Speaking at a presidential debate organised by Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with intellectual disabilities, Davis said nominating a person with intellectual disabilities would be a sign to other disabled persons that they were being recognised.

“I find it shocking that one of the first consequences of the recession was the effective shelving of the Disability Act and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act,” Davis told the debate at the Mansion House in Dublin.

She added that it was “grossly unfair” for disabled persons had to lose basic rights, and endure cuts to “an already very modest disability allowance”, when the economy had turned.

The Council of State is a special body which can be convened by the President to advise them on the use of their discretionary powers, such as the referral of laws to the Supreme Court.

Also speaking at the debate, Seán Gallagher said Ireland needed to focus on what it could do to help those with intellectual disabilities, and not those things which it could not do.

He added that a “mature society” valued its most vulnerable members, and called for a greater awareness that people with disability had certain entitlements.

Michael D Higgins lamented Ireland’s delay in ratifying  the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and said the forthcoming Mental Capacity Bill would help to bring about a culture of “assisted citizenship”.

Gay Mitchell commented that he wished to be seen as an inclusive President, remarking that inclusiveness was an absolute quality, and said he would use the Gaisce award to encourage involvement in disability outreach programmes.

Martin McGuinness commented that not enough had been done during the Celtic Tiger era to help those with disabilities, and that whatever gains had been made were now under threat. He said people with disabilities had “taken their rightful place as first-class citizens”.

David Norris said he hoped to use the presidency to act as a voice for the marginalised, and commented that while people with disabilities were equal to others, they were excluded “because Ireland isn’t included”.

Dana Rosemary Scallon did not attend this morning’s event, which was moderated by Miriam O’Callaghan.

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53 Comments
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    Mute Mark Dennehy
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    Oct 17th 2011, 2:42 PM

    Er, what kind of intellectual disability is she talking about here?
    I mean, giving people equal opportunity when they’re equally capable is one thing, and minor impairments like dyslexia are obvious cases where no barrier should be in place – but having someone with severe autism on the Council of State would be something else entirely.

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    Mute John Foley
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    Oct 17th 2011, 2:53 PM

    This is just quite simply, positive discrimination, people should be hired on merit, and nothing more

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    Mute Garreth OMahony
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:40 PM

    Reading between the lines it appears that you are saying that people with disabilities are not capable if making decisions. I digress that you visit some such as the cheshire home and see for yourself hat people with can do

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    Mute Aaron Hastings
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:18 PM

    Exactly my first reaction to this, John. It’s a similar idea to gender quotas in the workplace.

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    Mute Paddy Mc Kenna
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:35 PM

    Gareth,
    Cheshire Ireland do not cater for people with Intellectual Disabilities, they only cater for people with Physical and Sensory disabilities.

    71
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    Mute Garreth OMahony
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    Oct 17th 2011, 10:42 PM

    Paddy Cheshire Ireland do cater for both. My mother has lived there for the past 15 years s I know this by personal experience. Some may say that she is using this as an election stunt. I don’t think so. In fact I think that this high lights some thing that has been forgotten in Ireland and something that should be brought back

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    Mute David Donnelly
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:17 PM

    My god that is really low, you can’t help but get the impression that she is taking advantage or using this as a publicity stunt. That’s the impression I got when I first read the headline and I’m glad others see it this way too. You would only mention something like this after you get elected.

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    Mute Paul McPhillips
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:30 PM

    This is a joke right? She has completely fallen out of the “possibly electable” category and is now in the “bananas” category with Dana.
    She should know (seeing as she is on the bloody thing) that the Council of State is there, to be called upon if and when the President has a doubt about a Bill’s constitutionality. All these promises about appointing someone because they’re young / old / intellectually disabled / whatever else is utter rubbish.

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    Mute Michael Hegarty
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    Oct 17th 2011, 9:37 PM

    “She has completely fallen out of the “possibly electable” category and is now in the “bananas” category with Dana”…brilliant!!! Must quote that some day!!!

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    Mute paul madden
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:02 PM

    or perhaps, more effectively put someone on the group who represents and has been fighting for better inclusion for those with intellectual disability in ireland?

    am surprised at Davis using such token politics here. why stop at just putting one person on the board because they are the physical embodiment of the cause they represent? why not put a traveller, a homeless person, a drug addict, an immigrant denied a work visa, and any other joe blogs who represents those marginalised by society? Are they too also not entitled to a place at the table that they have never been to before?

    Mary you’d be better off saying that you would shake up the council, rotate its members each year so as to get a broader base of representation from as may aspects of society as possible rather than engaging in silly gestures like this.

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    Mute Chris Mansfield
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:32 PM

    Isn’t Bertie already on it…

    More seriously, the Council of State is supposed to advise the President on Constitutional Issues and the exercise of power. I’m at a loss to see how someone with an intellectual disability could do that job.

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    Mute vv7k7Z3c
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:43 PM

    Just on a point of information, Bertie is on it for the rest of his life, as are any living former Taoisigh and Presidents. He’s not appointed by any personal preference of a President.

    Each President gets to make seven nominations to their Council of State, for the duration of their term in office. (A two-term president gets to nominate seven new people at the beginning of their second term.)

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    Mute Iain Murray
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    Oct 17th 2011, 11:49 PM

    I’m at avloss to know how Bertie could do that job!

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    Mute James Grant
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    Oct 19th 2011, 5:23 AM

    “I’m at a loss to see how someone with an intellectual disability could do that job.”

    That’s because you have noone with an intellectual disability advising you.

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    Mute Paddy Mc Kenna
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:39 PM

    Using ‘ People with intellectual disabilities ‘ as a crutch, to bolster a flagging campaign is the lowest of the low. Mary Davis of all people should know better

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    Mute Dars K_Official
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:51 PM

    Looks like everyone here sees through her bullshit! She must think the Irish electorate are total idiots to think a moronic stunt like this would work, ether that or she’s planning on appointing herself to it qualifying as someone with a mental disability!

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 17th 2011, 10:02 PM

    Very good!

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    Mute Conor Cahill
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:33 PM

    It sounds like Mary Davis is getting desperate trying to appoint someone with intellectual disibilities to the council.
    What good would it do.

    54
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    Mute Martin Mc Cormack
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:11 PM

    it would create a job her two for carers, no doubt she has a few cronies in mind

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    Mute William O'Shea
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    Oct 17th 2011, 10:58 PM

    hahahahahaha

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    Mute Ciarán Mc Mahon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:42 PM

    Think I can kiss my €10 on Davis to win goodbye…. 12/1, would’ve been nice!

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    Mute Ann Rogers
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:05 PM

    Think Mary is ” Clutching at straws” at this stage……she would promise anything to stay in the race it seems and is certainly not ” thinking things out correctly…”

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    Mute Michael Hegarty
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    Oct 17th 2011, 6:18 PM

    Shes so far removed from reality. I think it was another stupid move from Mary Davis considering there is nobody with Intel Dis on her own board in Special Olympics, or her Campaign posts. I would prefer she appointed people with an immense knowledge of the constitution onto her council of state (Disability or no disability).

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:14 PM

    Stephen Hawkins for Taioseach.

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    Mute Stephen Doyle 태권도
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    Oct 17th 2011, 3:22 PM

    Hawkins has a physical disability not mental

    99
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    Mute Niamh Collins
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:07 PM

    I assume you mean Stephen Hawking.

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:08 PM

    ok….ehmmmmm…..Stephen Hawlins for President then

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:09 PM

    k

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:11 PM

    %^&())*%$£ S.t.e.p.h.e.n . H.a.w.k.i.n.g. ^*())(&%£” is a legend

    5
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    Mute random
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    Oct 17th 2011, 6:50 PM

    David Conch Condon a shoe in for council of state if Davis is elected anyway.

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:29 PM

    stephen hawking

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    Mute David Conch Condon
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:33 PM
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    Mute Ailís McKernan
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:16 PM

    I think I find this somewhat insulting as it seems she is bluntly using those intellectually disabled to further her own career.
    A responsible prez and indeed elected politicians should work on their behalf to ensure their rights are protected. “Appointing” them to the “Council of State” means nothing- token politics, as someone else correctly pointed out.

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    Mute Frank Buffets
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    Oct 17th 2011, 7:40 PM

    If she wants to be inclusive, How many people on her campaign team have a intellectual disability?

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    Mute Adam Magari
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    Oct 17th 2011, 5:07 PM

    If there was a test for ‘intellectual ability’ would current Council of State members pass it?

    24
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    Mute Pete Gibson
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    Oct 17th 2011, 5:24 PM

    In the old days there were four catagories: Fool,Moron,Idiot and Imbecile.
    I wonder which of the categories she will appoint.

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    Mute Danny D
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    Oct 17th 2011, 5:06 PM

    ekhm… but why?

    As in, are they short staff? If so, why aren’t they hiring? If they’re not short, hiring anyone just because they are disabled makes no sense.

    Also, no offence, but it has to be disability within reason, so that the person can still do their job.

    Bottom line is however, we should aim for the best employees our budget can buy…

    22
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    Mute corksurf
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    Oct 17th 2011, 4:42 PM

    Next we’ll be replacing the Dail with a lunatic in a box:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvszMp9Ue4U

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    Mute William O'Shea
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    Oct 17th 2011, 11:03 PM

    Lol,…… Bosco for president!

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    Mute Oil Foster
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    Oct 17th 2011, 7:29 PM

    Does this open the job to any of the previous government, bankers and senior civil servants?

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    Mute Seamus McKenna
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:27 PM

    Interesting how the presidential campaign encourages really wierd behaviour in some condidates when desperation sets in. This is Mary Davis’s “Brian Lenihan Snr” moment. Dana had hers last week towards the end of the Prime Time debate.

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    Mute Martin Mc Cormack
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:08 PM

    i think she means Bertie ahern, she owes him a turn

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    Mute Martin Mc Cormack
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:13 PM

    seems bertie is already there.. could be a gig for little willie

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    Mute Madeline Angela Hind
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:56 PM

    aaawww! that’s sweet Davis wants to give McGuinness a job

    14
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    Mute Paddy O Donnell
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    Oct 17th 2011, 10:20 PM

    this woman needs to get back to the real world and answer the questions about her time on various boards and stop using disabilities as an excuse to avoid said questions.

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    Mute Gis Bayertz
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    Oct 17th 2011, 8:33 PM

    Why would she think that she’ll ever be in a position to hire anybody?

    10
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    Mute Tony Mcintyre
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    Oct 18th 2011, 12:48 AM

    Seems she already hired “a person with intellectual disabilities “to advise her on how to run her campaign…
    Bloody disgrace…ahh well seems to be par for the course on this leg of X factor… oops.. Race to the Aras….

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    Mute Eileen Browne
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    Oct 18th 2011, 1:43 AM

    Why are you posting this here??

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    Mute Iain Murray
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    Oct 17th 2011, 11:45 PM

    If you want to give a high ranking job to someone with intellectual disabilities, just put Davis in the aras! Elitist twit!

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    Mute ian mc dermott
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    Oct 18th 2011, 12:38 AM

    God. Is there noting the woman won’t try

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    Mute Paul McPhillips
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    Oct 18th 2011, 8:58 AM

    Companies are separate legal entities Claire- a company run by Gallagher owed the money, not him personally.

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    Mute Nicole Woods
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    Oct 18th 2011, 10:44 AM

    Wow the woman tries to make history and do something no Irish president has ever done before and the abuse you are writing is awful. She obviously has a huge interest from working so closely with special olympics so to assume it’s just a publicity stunt or tactics is ridiculous. How can you all be so negative I think it’s a great thing!

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