There are smooth operators and then there’s Enda Kenny. During his much-reported trip to the White House for St Patrick’s Day, besides being made (with his wife) President Trump’s new bestest friend, Enda revealed that he’d be seeing to it that the Irish diaspora (that’s me and you too, folks) will have a vote in Presidential elections. Hip-hip hooray and throw your greasy cap to the moon.
Or maybe hold on a moment before starting the cartwheels. This change in voting will first have to be passed in a referendum, and already there are voices questioning whether a bunch of people, even if they are Irish, should be allowed to vote in a Presidential election, since their votes could well out-weigh those of the upright citizens living in the Republic of Ireland and paying taxes. Besides, it could open the doors for people to whom the law-makers in the southern state would rather not have doors opened. Is binn béal ina thost – No names no packdrill. So it’s possible the referendum may give a thumbs-down to Enda’s Big Idea.
But let’s assume a referendum is held and voting is opened to Irish citizens everywhere, it won’t happen tomorrow. Or the next day. In fact, it won’t happen in time for the next Presidential election. Michael D Higgins was elected President in 2011. But in a move about which there was extraordinarily little fuss, because of a petition signed by over two million people, there’ll be no election in 2018. Instead, at the end of Michael D’s seven-year tenure, he’ll go straight into another seven-year tenure. Which means the next Presidential election will be in 2025.
Whoaaa. With the present rate of change, all sorts of things could have happened by then. Scotland could have seceded the Union. Britain, impoverished by Brexit, might be knocking on the door of the EU and begging re-admittance. Or the EU could have collapsed in an untidy heap. Or an Irish border referendum could have been held and could have voted to end the Union with Britain and create a new united Ireland.
You’ve probably heard the expression “kicking the can down the road.” Enda has hired a small van and had the can delivered some eight miles down the road. With a brief stop-off so he himself can smoothly exit the political scene in his pension-funded Merc…
LAME DUCK a l’ORANGE
First thing for EK in the Blue Shirt Ridge
Is to put the F’n Ref. in the deep fridge
Lame-duck’s just back
Speaks: ‘not so quack !
Mayo’s Irish, go aisy on the Mayobridge’.
Jude,
Regarding the extension of Presidential voting rights my brother and I were chatting about this over the weekend and I was explaining to him about the implications of the referendum in the south and it not necessarily being a cert to pass. My brother stated that if the vote is a No, it will set back any talk of Irish Unity for decades! And I think there is a ring of truth to that. This vote is gonna take place in the next 18 months or so – if there isn’t a big yes vote, what confidence do we have in them voting in favour of the north to unite with the south, after a positive boarder poll in the North?
The referendum on Presidential voting, could well turn out to be a big fly in the ointment for any reunification talk or plans. Within 18months we could witness a Brexit like shock that effectively blows the UI project out of the water for a generation; at least!
You might well point to southern opinion polls in favour of a UI, all generally upwards of 60% in favour from memory. However, and this is crucial in my opinion, when polls factored in that the south may have to help fund the block grant, support for a UI drops significantly to just over 50% support.
This link below has the details on the poll!
https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/0304/857226-poll-united-ireland/
people paying taxes in a country wont want non tax payers having a say and they have a point.
But anyone born in Ireland is allowed to stand for the role of President, Billy. Mary McAleese was born in Belfast, and besides the role is purely ceremonial.
yea ceremonial as you say,it would be better of scrubbed and the money spent onit donated to the irish homeless imo.look at yer woman you mention sure what was her claim to fame,bringing the leaders of an active murder gang on all expenses paid golfing holidays.and people want to vote for more of the same.lol
Didn’t know that Billy ..?? Nice of her to take the UDA and the UVF off on a wee holiday. What golf handicap do John White and Johnny Adair play off these days. Some great Golf Courses over in Scotland. But as you say, it would be better spent on the homeless. And that ‘cash or ash’ would have housed and fed more than a few unfortunates ..!!
Rupert Murdoch and the Barclay brothers pay no taxes in the U.K. Yet no one would argue they no influence on politics in the U.K.
I am old enough to remember a time when the so called president of the free state was held in low esteem. President of a partitioned Ireland, no better than PM of the six counties. When Ireland is an independent nation then we will have a proper President.