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FINE GAEL’S presidential candidate Gay Mitchell has said he would be prepared to consider joining the British Commonwealth in exchange for the prospect of a United Ireland.
Speaking at Today FM’s seven-way presidential debate at the Sugar Club on Dublin’s Leeson St, Mitchell said he would be “disposed” to the idea if it was “the price” of having a 32-county republic.
“If it was the price of a United Ireland I would be disposed towards the idea,” Mitchell told Matt Cooper.
“We have to stop thinking like this – we have blinkers on our heads all the time, we all think that we’re inclusive, so long as we’re inclusive of our own narrow view.”
His views came in for attack from Martin McGuinness, who said the notion of joining the Commonwealth as a form of quid pro quo was “wrong”.
“Gay is saying that he would accept that the Queen of England would have precedence over the Irish president,” he said.
“I don’t accept that at all. I believe that would be totally and absolutely wrong.”
After the debate, Mitchell explained that the Commonwealth had “evolved significantly” since Ireland had left it in 1949, and was now a trading bloc which does not require the British monarch to be at its head”.
“The majority of members are republics – 33 – and five countries have different monarchs… Mandela led South Africa back to the Commonwealth in 1994,” he said. ”Regardless, it is a matter for the government.”
McGuinness told reporters after the debate that the idea was “pathetic”.
The two-hour discussion gave all contenders the chance to make points during the debate; Mary Davis also took issue with comments made by Mitchell, who had said Ireland had a chance to host “some Olympics”.
“We were a group of people who got together and actually did something,” Davis said, adding that the Presidency should be an office which celebrated diversity.
Sean Gallagher said he would like to see thousands of Irish emigrants and people of Irish heritage returning for an ‘Irish Expo’, to be held to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising, as a way of building a “new type of patriotism”.
Michael D Higgins, on the same question, said the anniversary of the Easter Rising was not the only anniversary on the horizon – others included the founding of the Labour Party, he noted.
Dana Rosemary Scallon spoke of her desire for an annual Presidential address, and for the creation of a forum of young people to give them direct access to the head of state.
David Norris said he would like to mark the Easter Rising anniversary by reading the 1916 Proclamation at the GPO, and invite the presidents of other countries to “vow to cherish all the people of the planet equally.”
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The Commissioners contract was extended to June 2025 which is quite unbelievable given that he is trying his level best to destroy the organisation be it intentionally or otherwise. The Government are just sitting back and watching the whole thing burn before their eyes.
@Gregson from the Block: Requiring accountability that’s all. They have been a law onto themselves previously.
I own a small business in my town and regularly see the same guarda out and about in the town weather that be during the day or on Saturday nights. It seems that there is about 20% of people doing 90% of the work ? I’m well aware that there is a greater number of guards in the station but what do they do ??
And attendance at dodgy parties no doubt
@Anne Busher Collins: that was a civil servant working for the Garda Ombudsman, no serving Gardai work in there
@Anne Busher Collins: ah bless poor Anna doesn’t know the difference between GSOC and the Gardai
@johnbrady: hmmm and yet you seem to be dismissive of the seriousness of organised crime infiltrating both Garda and GSOC / organised crime gangs that manages to use Garda Uniforms for a murder / leading detectives working on that specific case committing suicide in a Garda station / a a member of GSOC who investigate the Garda attending the party celebrating the release / and you think trying to be condescending and splitting hairs over the organisation structures of our police force is somehow going to deflect from the scandal – jog on
@Disco Inferno: not necessarily correct … there have been gards there on secondment
@Dave Hammond: wearing boiler suits and military helmets with AK 47s none of which were garda issued
@Mc Comascaigh Paul: There aren’t any currently, and that secondment ended 2 years ago.
@johnbrady: The condescending arrogance is breathtaking, (To Anne Busher). From Maurice McCabe to Paul Reynolds suggesting the monk was tipped off because he was ‘always ahead of the game’ to the many Gardai personally abusing Drew Harris because of his attempted reforms. Criticism ok, personal abuse that should be beneath ye. Can ye not see the damage the few are doing to the majority of cops and to the public with arrogance like that. Nobody is perfect but you need to understand that before you can begin to put it right. The saddest thing is we ALL want to be supportive of the Gardai but boy do ye make it difficult.
@Disco Inferno: oh ye?, suppose they don’t need it anymore given that they send most investigations on to be investigated by AGS anyway !!
@Disco Inferno: heard he was a great lad all together
Westport, nice 3 days. I see suspension of Garda is going to be a talking point. A more valid talking point would be dismissal of Garda . The organization has lost the publics respect in many areas. Another one recently caught in Dublin airport with a pocket full of white .
I’m expecting the same ‘outrage’ we see for education…
@thesaltyurchin: why?
@William slevin: par for the course no?
@thesaltyurchin: so people complain about the teachers they must also need to complain about the garda?
Here I’ll help you out the garda organisation as an organ of the state is corrupt…they have an us and them mentality, many see themselves as seperate to the people they serve they in fact think they are superior to the people they serve…many of the population got to see the nasty side of many a garda during the pandemic…
Examples of garda abuse and corruption are a couple of mayo garda joking about raping a woman protestor, who was protesting about the corrib oil fields I think it was…she secretly recorded it and used it as evidence against them…
Then their was the false breathalyser tests over a million of them…
Hitting on rape victims giving their statements…
The entire corruption that garda mcabe exposed…which two commisioners had to step down…
A ban Garda drug addict selling information for drugs to drug dealers in sligo…
Garda commiting purgery in court just to get a conviction…
Garda fasley arresting people without reasonable cause…
Garda assaulting members of the public…
Garda extorting foreign dilveroo drivers…
The list is near endless amount of corruption in the garda organisation and just about all of what of just said has been reported by thejournal.ie at one point or another.
As far as I can tell and i won’t say this about every garda because I’ve met some good ones…but it seems to be as an organisation and a culture with the garda they have a disdain for the people they serve why otherwise would their be so much abuse and corruption amongst their ranks…
Hope that satisfied you
@William slevin: Pretty concise evaluation Bill. I’m alluding to those that would look to make our only 2 functioning institutions worse rather than better, teachers are the easier target tbf, in this instance I’ve had too few run ins with Garda to really have an opinion of any nuance, but I appreciate that people’s taxes have insured desirable, necessary employment that can maintain a reasonably middle class life (depending on ones circumstance, family etc). Accountability is needed across the PS tho
@thesaltyurchin: the garda aren’t a function ing institution what they are is a self corrupt self serving institution…
As for the teachers and the school system…I call them the murder machine as in the murder of young minds, literally then came across a pamphlet book in my early 20′s by padrig Pearce called the murder machine…speaking similarly of my thoughts but of the british education system murdering young irish minds…
Today it hasn’t changed the education system is their for the self serving establishment…the entire system needs an overhaul…not everyone needs academics…many are best placed in trades from a young age early teens…were placing to much on the class room for learning…to much on a single piece of paper over experience on the job training and that includes business and so on…
These two institutions are as dysfunctional as the rest and only exist to serve themselves and the establishment…
have your say