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McGuinness admits frustration at "unfair" Prime Time treatment

Speaking at a debate organised by SpunOut.ie, Martin McGuinness shares his frustration at his treatment from the media.

MARTIN MCGUINNESS has shared his belief that he was treated unfairly during Wednesday night’s presidential debate on RTÉ’s Prime Time.

Addressing an audience of young people at a wide-ranging debate organised by SpunOut.ie on Earlsfort Terrace in Dublin, McGuinness said he was “disappointed in the way Prime Time debate was handled” by moderator Miriam O’Callaghan.

“Yes, absolutely; I thought it was unfair,” he said, having been asked if he was frustrated at how each had been treated by the media over the course of the campaign.

Mary Davis concurred that she was disappointed with how she was treated, while Sean Gallagher said he was “disappointed with the tone” of the coverage of the campaign so far.

David Norris refused to give a ‘yes or no’ answer to the question, but remarked, “If I’m not elected the ninth president of Ireland, theyll bloody soon find out how I feel”. Michael D Higgins said he would recommend “a period of reflection” after the election.

Earlier in the debate, McGuinness had said he wished “to be a president who speaks out and who is prepared to shine a light on those issues which are of concern,” pointing to Sinn Féin’s gender balanced representation in Stormont.

“I would be someone who is prepared to speak out, and not sit tamely in the Áras and be subjected to the restrictions of the establishment or the powers that be,” he said.

Michael D Higgins said Ireland should accept it was “making a new tapestry” but that if Ireland was serious about inclusion, it needed to embrace that inclusion was “not just about tolerance, inclusion is about full equality”.

“That means feeling the freedom to listen and to incorporate other stories… and that includes people from different traditions north and south aswell,” he said.

‘Airbrushed’

Asked about her campaign posters, Mary Davis again denied her photo had been “airbrushed”, instead attributing her photograph to having her hair and make-up done, with good lighting and good photography.

“I would love to get up every morning and look like I do in the poster,” Davis joked, before acknowledging the “serious question in relation to women in general, and the commodification of women.

David Norris told the attendees he was particularly worried about the absence of a national sexual health strategy, commenting that when he had commission ed leaflets encouraging sexual health, it was considered illegal.

“I think people should tell the truth, take the bit of courage – if necessary, undermine compliance! Get it done, because it’s your lives, and tell the truth about human sexuality – which has never been done in this country, by the Church or by the State,” Norris forcefully asserted.

Sean Gallagher told the audience he wished to visit every secondary school in the country, only to be asked whether this would be “a waste of his time” given his plans to entice investment and tourism to Ireland.

Gallagher said there was “nobody else in this race” who understood enterprise in the way he did, saying his main wish would be to ensure that each young person in Ireland could realistically hope to have a job.

Neither Dana Rosemary Scallon nor Gay Mitchell attended today’s debate, as both were canvassing in other parts of the country.

The entire SpunOut.ie debate can be watched here:

Read: Gallagher storms into major lead in latest opinion poll

In full: TheJournal.ie’s coverage of the Race for the Áras

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    Mute Symbolism
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:05 PM

    I’ll read this later

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    Mute Paddy Devaney
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    May 2nd 2015, 9:44 PM

    √√

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    Mute Pat O' Brien
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:14 PM

    Typing…

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    Mute onlybuzzinwitcha
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:31 PM

    Or:

    Typing……

    Then

    Last active 19:30

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    Mute Lolo
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:27 PM

    This is a pisser offer for me. When you don’t reply instantly upon reading a message and you get bombarded with texts going, your message delivered but you haven’t answered. Are you ok? I’m worried, text me back! Hello? Are you there?

    Jeez wept it has been 10 minutes..chillax :)

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    Mute Byyys
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:01 PM

    What pisses me off is when someone says they didn’t any text message.. even when you get a delivery report and you know they got the message!

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    Mute Ken McCarthy
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:13 PM

    @Lolo

    They’re some intense friends you have there! No offence intended.

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    Mute Lolo
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:40 PM

    None taken haha tis true!

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    Mute onlybuzzinwitcha
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    May 2nd 2015, 7:29 PM

    Reading this article just made me think about how great my life is and how lucky I am to have it. I’m not one to worry about read/unread texts. I do however worry about missing the bus (no protest pun intended), the rain and if tomorrow’s gonna be a good day.

    Be happy everyone.

    Sorry for being such a sap.

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    Mute Glen
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:09 PM

    Or you could just not worry about it by replying later or not at all.

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    Mute Stephen
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:05 PM

    Or you could just reply

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    Mute Niamhs
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:17 PM

    Thanks

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    Mute Mary Kavanagh
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    May 2nd 2015, 6:48 PM

    For Android please! Thanks!

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