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FORMER FIANNA FÁIL minister, senator and TD Mary O’Rourke gave an in-depth interview to the Late Late Show on RTÉ last night.
Not known to shy away from expressing her opinion, the former education minister gave a frank interview in which she talked about her fertility issues, post-natal depression, and the death of her late husband Enda in 2001.
Ryan Tubridy also quizzed O’Rourke, whose book Just Mary was published this week, on her time in the Dáil and in government asking her about her informal title of ‘Mammy as the Dáil’ during the last administration.
“I think to be a mammy is a wonderful thing,” she said.
But the people who say to me, I mean people who might try to say it to me in derision, I say ‘Why? Don’t you love your mother?’ and they say ‘Well, of course I do’. So I don’t know, but I take it as it comes.
O’Rourke also spoke about the time she turned down a specific spokesperson role with Fianna Fáil shortly after being elected. Then Fianna Fáil leader Charlie Haughey offered the Longford-Westmeath TD a role as spokesperson on women’s affairs in the early 80s.
But O’Rourke recounted how she declined the offer: “I didn’t want to be put in cupboard and women’s affairs written (across it) and every time there was a big issue about women, pull you out, put you back again.
I would be talking about women anyway in the course of things and taking up issues relating to women but I didn’t intend to be pigeon-holed as ‘Mary O’Rourke for women’s affairs’.
She recounted how later in the day Haughey rang her again to offer her a role as education spokesperson, shadowing then education minister Gemma Hussey.
On the death of her nephew Brian Lenihan last year, the 75-year-old said that it had a “huge affect” on her.
As well as knowing him from when he was a child, I served under the one roof, one workplace for 16 years. He was a very special person, very, very special. It’s just so lonely for Patricia and the two children, and for his mother, his sister and brothers. Very special, he was and is very special and nothing will change that.
O’Rourke said that she believed Brian Cowen’s story is “sad, very sad” and expressed doubt as to whether Cowen ever wanted to be Taoiseach in the first place.
You see to us as a party we wanted him as Taoiseach, we really did want him, and he – Bertie wanted him – he was propelled into it.But now looking back, and of course hindsight is a great science, I wonder did he want it himself. I really do, in hindsight. I think that maybe he was happier being freer, not having the weight of all that upon him.
On Bertie Ahern, she added that her feelings on him were “mixed” over his success in helping to negotiate peace in Northern Ireland and the building boom.
He perhaps gave in too much to the unions maybe,” she said. “But at the time everyone adored it. I mean all the building, the construction boom, 80 cranes on the skyline of Dublin or all over but there was full unemployment. So there are two sides to all of these things.
O’Rourke added that all the “kissy, kisses” with German chancellor Angela Merkel did not appear to be working in the government’s favour but praised Taoiseach Enda Kenny for being a man “full of action”.
“But I wonder if in all the action… if the head going around doesn’t want to stall a bit and try to put it together,” she added.
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Online and linked to a PPS number. Also, a revamp would significantly increase turnout rates
@David Healion: and rolling so you can change address or be added to register at any time of year. Once the PPS number is used that shouldn’t be a problem.
@Jane: pps is not enough. Any person working or long enough in the State can have a PPS number.
But only citizens can vote in Referendums.
@Good Early: Not true, legal residents of all nationalities can vote in the local elections, legal residents of EU nationalities can vote in the European parliament elections, Irish and British citizens can vote in the general election, only Irish citizens can vote in the presidential election and referendums.
@Conor Black: agree, that’s why said only citizens can vote if Referendums.
PPS is fine for the others, but not enough referendums
@Good Early: passport number could be used
@Seamus Mac: Not everyone has a passport.
The system thats there works once it’s all done in time & not at the last minute. I’ve moved house over the years & part of the process is changing to the local Register when I move. Not a blind panic 2 weeks before I need to vote.
@⚡ Seánie ⚡: I know several people in both camps in the recent referendum who got two voting cards for different polling stations. They all used them to vote twice
We also had foreign nationals registered who had no right to vote.
As we have no specific figures this is worrying. It’s seriously undermines our democracy.
The government should automatically enroll all citizens once they are 18 and post a voting card. No duplicating registrations. Whether people vote is another thing.
I received two polling cards. First one was correct, second one had my name on it, but my next door neighbours address. So I could have voted twice couldn’t I? I’m never asked for ID at the polling station probably because it’s local and manned by local people. All they do is put a line through the address when you show the polling card. If I’d gone again hours after I’d voted, I could have voted a second time probably.
@Rachel Giles: I know several people who got two cards and did vote twice. It’s poses a serious threat to out democracy
@Rachel Giles: Getting two voting cards doesn’t entitle a person to vote twice. If your name is only on the Register once, and they send out two voting cards in error, and you try to vote twice, you will be caught and this is a criminal offence.
@Rachel Giles: or you could have been arrested !
My Son who is 19 had a vote in the equality marriage referendum but had none in the 8th amendment referendum . He did not move house at all . No polling card came . Why was he taken off !
@Elaine O’ Brien: the same happened to my mother and when she got onto them she was told she had to prove she was Irish! She worked in the hse and was born and lived in Ireland all her life. It’s a joke
@Elaine O’ Brien: you don’t need the polling card to vote. Did you check the register to see he wasn’t on it?
@Sandra: checking the register isn’t 100% fool proof. My son didn’t show on it because we were searching for him using HIS name and address, he got a polling card with HIS name on it but next doors address so we never would have found him on the register
@Elaine O’ Brien: Just because you don’t get a polling card, doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have a vote. Your name might be on the register of electors and that gives you the right to vote. Check the register online on your local County Council website. There is a facility to register on it also. Not sure how they monitor registration for who can and can’t vote in different elections when registering online!
@Elaine O’ Brien: No polling card does not mean he was taken off the register
You can pay your car tax & dog license online but not change your address on electoral register online.
The whole political system needs total reform. Just because the local teacher or publican can appear on TV and in interviews before a general election spewing out well rehearsed party rhetoric doesn’t make him/her any more competent for the higher level jobs in gov. We need capable and proper qualified people in gov to get a competently run country and unfortunately that excludes most of the current shower of chancers we’ve got in the dail.
@Adrian: totally agree with you. Especially in the case of allocating ministers’ positions, people should have, not just a qualification, but experience in given ministry.
@Adrian: I totally agree. Anyone elected should have mandatory training in economics and public policy. They only seem talented at talking shite and paying themselves. Most jobs require qualifications. We wouldn’t let a teacher become a doctor without qualifications. It’s a joke
Still a half measure as we need an electoral commission as well with the power to put some order on the current chaotic process
The register as it stands gives many opportunities for fraud
The UK system isn’t quite as efficient as presented (though it’s undeniably better than the Irish one). You have a central entry point online, but it still gets sent to the local councils for semi-manual processing, which is fine but seems an unnecessary step, and can lead to issues where some councils are better organised and more efficient than others. If you have a specialised division centrally that does nothing else obviously they’re going to be better resourced and better trained.
Do what they do up North,you have to submit your National Insurance Number to register,going door to door to update the register is too much for one man these days given the population explosion etc.
When my father died they took my name off the register also despite the fact that I registered tre Gaelinn, had to go to the local courthouse and deal with some snooty officials to have it restored and no apology from them either.
There is significant problems with voters register. I have two polling cards for people who have died. Note highest vote yes in DBS in country yet second lowest turn out ie 54%. This has more to do with the voters register than apathy.
How long after you leave the country can you retain the right to vote??
have your say