"The President Has A Political View, It's Probably A View He Formed As A Student Radical In The 70s"

Tuesday, 20 June 2023 10:30

By Caoimhe Harney

James Lawless said the office Michael D Higgins holds now is not one he held as a student leader

The President has a political view and a world view, it's probably a view he formed as a student radical back in the 70s, according to a Kildare North TD.

Speaking on Kildare Today, James Lawless claimed the President can have a go at the state and criticise policy.

However, Deputy Lawless said that Government cannot criticise the President because of a constitutional convention, which, he claimed, leads to one sided debate.

The President has been accused of trying to shut down debate on Ireland's neutrality in some of the comments he made in recent days.

Michael D Higgins has expressed concern about a "drift" towards the ending of Ireland's military neutrality.

Deputy Lawless said that he would hope that the President would not "muddy the pitch" with his comments before the forum on Ireland's Defence kicks off.

"I don't see any drift at all, I actually see a number of important decisions to be made," insisted Lawless.

Kildare South Independent TD Cathal Berry said: "It is completely normal to discuss defence in any other country.

"Resourced neutrality is what we're supposed to be doing.

"Currently we are not a neutral country. We're uniquely vulnerable," concluded Berry.

Fianna Fáil TD Kildare North James Lawless and Kildare South Independent TD, Former Army Ranger Cathal Berry spoke with Eoin Beatty on Tuesday morning's Kildare Today, listen back to the interview here;

More from Local News

Vacuum-Packing Machine Lid Killed Worker As Kildare Town Firm Faces Court Over Second Fatality

The court heard that on the morning of May 14th 2020, Binak Cokaj, who was working as a packer at the company’s Curragh Road facility in Kildare Town, suffered fatal head injuries when the lid of a Cryovac vacuum-packing machine closed on him while he was at work.
Water Test Failure Disrupts On-Base Military Training At Curragh Camp

While security and day-to-day operations at the camp remain unaffected, the Defence Forces say they could not continue feeding students, resulting in the temporary suspension of on-base training courses, particularly in the Military College.
Government Told Grok Clothing-Removal Feature Has Been Disabled Worldwide

Gardai are investigating the platform after it was found to have been generating and sharing sexually explicit images of people, including children.
Kildare North TD Says He Acted Immediately To Repay Pension Overpayment When It Came To Light

Audio

Speaking to Kfm News this afternoon, he said some ministers had agreed to surrender a portion of their salaries back to the State through a salary-sacrifice arrangement, with the process handled by Government payroll administrators.
Maynooth Study: Pet Loss Causes The Same Level Of Grief As Losing A Loved One

Only the death of a parent - and especially a child - resulted in higher levels of prolonged grief.
Kildare TD James Lawless Pays Back Following Pension Error While Martin Heydon Unaffected

It’s understood Kildare North TD and Minister for Further and Higher Education James Lawless has fully repaid an overpayment arising from incorrect pension deductions.
Call To Review Cycle Lane In Maynooth Following Two Accidents, With One Resulting In 86-Year-OId Cyclist Breaking His Hip

Raising the motion in the recent Clane-Maynooth MD meeting, Fine Gael cllr Tim Durkan noted that this cyclist is well-known and highly accomplished
Up To €1,000 Available For Kildare Parent And Toddler Groups

New or standalone groups can receive up to €1,000, while groups linked to larger organisations can receive up to €800.