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28 Oct 11
12:56
Joined:
Date Joined:
05 Jan 10
(to give him his full title shortly 
) on becoming the 9th President of Eire
From wikipedia
Ordinary duties and functions
The Constitution of Ireland provides for a parliamentary system of government, under which the role of the head of state is largely a ceremonial one. The President is formally one of three tiers of the Oireachtas (national parliament), which also comprises Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate or upper house).
Unlike many other republics, executive authority is expressly vested in the Government (cabinet). Thus, the President is not even the nominal chief executive. The Government is obliged, however, to keep the President generally informed on matters of domestic and foreign policy. Most of the functions of the President may only be carried out in accordance with the strict instructions of the Constitution, or the binding 'advice' of the Government. The President does, however, possess certain personal powers that may be exercised at his or her discretion.
Ceremonial functions
The main functions are prescribed by the Constitution:
Appoints the Government The President appoints the Taoiseach (head of government) and other ministers, and accepts their resignations. The Taoiseach is appointed upon the nomination of the Dáil, and the remainder of the cabinet upon the nomination of the Taoiseach and approval of the Dáil. Ministers are dismissed on the advice of the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach must, unless there is a dissolution of the Dáil, resign upon losing the confidence of the house. Appoints the judiciary The President appoints the judges to all Courts of the Republic of Ireland, on the advice of the Government.[3] Convenes and dissolves the Dáil This power is exercised on the advice of the Taoiseach; government or Dáil approval is not needed. The President may only refuse a dissolution when a Taoiseach has lost the confidence of the Dáil.[3] Signs bills into law The President cannot veto a bill that the Dáil and the Seanad have adopted. However, he/she may refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. If the Supreme Court upholds the bill, the President must sign it however if it is found to be repugnant to the constitution, the President will decline to give assent.[3] Represents the state in foreign affairs[3] This power is exercised only on the advice of the Government. The President accredits ambassadors and receives the letters of credence of foreign diplomats. Ministers sign international treaties in the President's name. This role was not exercised by the President prior to the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 Supreme commander of the Defence Forces[4] This role is somewhat similar in statute to that of a commander-in-chief. An officer's commission is signed and sealed by the President. This is a nominal position, the powers of which are exercised on the advice of the Government. (See Minister for Defence.) Power of pardon The President, on the advice of the Government, has "the right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment".[5] Pardon, for miscarriages of justice, has applied rarely: Thomas Quinn in 1940, Brady in 1943, and Nicky Kelly in 1992.[6] The current procedure is specified by Section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1993.[7] There were plans in 2005 for paramilitary "on the runs" to receive pardons as part of the Northern Ireland peace process, to supplement the 1998 early release of serving prisoners after the Good Friday Agreement.[8] This was controversial and was soon abandoned along with similar British proposals.[9][10][11] Power of commutation and remittance are not restricted to the President,[12] though this was the case for death sentences handed down prior to the abolition of capital punishment.[13]
Other functions specified by statute or otherwise include:
The President is ex officio President of the Irish Red Cross Society.[14]
The President appoints, on the advice of the Government, the Senior Professors and chairman of the council of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies;[15] the governor of the Central Bank of Ireland;[16] the members of the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal;[17] the Ombudsman;[18] and the members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.[19]
The President appoints one trustee to the Chester Beatty Library. This was specified in Chester Beatty's will and given effect by a 1968 Act of the Oireachtas.[20]
The President is the patron of Gaisce – The President's Award, established by trust deed in 1985.[21]
[edit] Special limitations
The President may not leave the state without the consent of the Government.[22]
Every formal address or message "to the nation" or to either or both Houses of the Oireachtas must have prior approval of the Government.[23] Other than on these two (quite rare) occasions there is no limitation on the President's right to speak. While earlier presidents were exceptionally cautious in delivering speeches and on almost every occasion submitted them for vetting, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese have made much more use of their right to speak without government approval, with Mary McAleese doing many live radio and television interviews. Nonetheless, by convention Presidents refrain from direct criticism of the government
) on becoming the 9th President of EireFrom wikipedia
Ordinary duties and functions
The Constitution of Ireland provides for a parliamentary system of government, under which the role of the head of state is largely a ceremonial one. The President is formally one of three tiers of the Oireachtas (national parliament), which also comprises Dáil Éireann (the lower house) and Seanad Éireann (the Senate or upper house).
Unlike many other republics, executive authority is expressly vested in the Government (cabinet). Thus, the President is not even the nominal chief executive. The Government is obliged, however, to keep the President generally informed on matters of domestic and foreign policy. Most of the functions of the President may only be carried out in accordance with the strict instructions of the Constitution, or the binding 'advice' of the Government. The President does, however, possess certain personal powers that may be exercised at his or her discretion.
Ceremonial functions
The main functions are prescribed by the Constitution:
Appoints the Government The President appoints the Taoiseach (head of government) and other ministers, and accepts their resignations. The Taoiseach is appointed upon the nomination of the Dáil, and the remainder of the cabinet upon the nomination of the Taoiseach and approval of the Dáil. Ministers are dismissed on the advice of the Taoiseach and the Taoiseach must, unless there is a dissolution of the Dáil, resign upon losing the confidence of the house. Appoints the judiciary The President appoints the judges to all Courts of the Republic of Ireland, on the advice of the Government.[3] Convenes and dissolves the Dáil This power is exercised on the advice of the Taoiseach; government or Dáil approval is not needed. The President may only refuse a dissolution when a Taoiseach has lost the confidence of the Dáil.[3] Signs bills into law The President cannot veto a bill that the Dáil and the Seanad have adopted. However, he/she may refer it to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality. If the Supreme Court upholds the bill, the President must sign it however if it is found to be repugnant to the constitution, the President will decline to give assent.[3] Represents the state in foreign affairs[3] This power is exercised only on the advice of the Government. The President accredits ambassadors and receives the letters of credence of foreign diplomats. Ministers sign international treaties in the President's name. This role was not exercised by the President prior to the Republic of Ireland Act 1948 Supreme commander of the Defence Forces[4] This role is somewhat similar in statute to that of a commander-in-chief. An officer's commission is signed and sealed by the President. This is a nominal position, the powers of which are exercised on the advice of the Government. (See Minister for Defence.) Power of pardon The President, on the advice of the Government, has "the right of pardon and the power to commute or remit punishment".[5] Pardon, for miscarriages of justice, has applied rarely: Thomas Quinn in 1940, Brady in 1943, and Nicky Kelly in 1992.[6] The current procedure is specified by Section 7 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1993.[7] There were plans in 2005 for paramilitary "on the runs" to receive pardons as part of the Northern Ireland peace process, to supplement the 1998 early release of serving prisoners after the Good Friday Agreement.[8] This was controversial and was soon abandoned along with similar British proposals.[9][10][11] Power of commutation and remittance are not restricted to the President,[12] though this was the case for death sentences handed down prior to the abolition of capital punishment.[13]
Other functions specified by statute or otherwise include:
The President is ex officio President of the Irish Red Cross Society.[14]
The President appoints, on the advice of the Government, the Senior Professors and chairman of the council of the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies;[15] the governor of the Central Bank of Ireland;[16] the members of the Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal;[17] the Ombudsman;[18] and the members of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.[19]
The President appoints one trustee to the Chester Beatty Library. This was specified in Chester Beatty's will and given effect by a 1968 Act of the Oireachtas.[20]
The President is the patron of Gaisce – The President's Award, established by trust deed in 1985.[21]
[edit] Special limitations
The President may not leave the state without the consent of the Government.[22]
Every formal address or message "to the nation" or to either or both Houses of the Oireachtas must have prior approval of the Government.[23] Other than on these two (quite rare) occasions there is no limitation on the President's right to speak. While earlier presidents were exceptionally cautious in delivering speeches and on almost every occasion submitted them for vetting, Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese have made much more use of their right to speak without government approval, with Mary McAleese doing many live radio and television interviews. Nonetheless, by convention Presidents refrain from direct criticism of the government
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Surely the most tiresome and dirty campaign ever to exercise the people and politicians in the history of the state and for the election of a figurehead 
Congrats Ireland. The right President for this Country. We got some of our respect back
The greatest waste of E3,500,000 one can imagine ...salary and expenses over 7 years and probably additional costs on top of that .
3.5 Mill is nothing Vubiant....peanuts in the scale of things. If we can waste money like we have, this looks like a good investment
Read this and watch this or do it the other way aound or just watch it...comprende
Michael D's last speech
Michael D's last speech
Michael D's Last speech to the Dail http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJ5q1_5jX8
Written Speech: http://bit.ly/tEeUyx
Written Speech: http://bit.ly/tEeUyx
Great day for ireland - the others would have cost us a fortune with their pension.
I hear he hates all things American. Good for him...Lets ban McDonalds Mr Prez
Elected: Michael D Higgins - Ireland's most anti-American President
Today Ireland elected Michael D Higgins as president. Higgins, who lived and worked in America 40 years ago, is the most anti-American president Ireland has ever had.
As an American living in Ireland it has been clear to me that since the early 1980s Higgins has been among the most outspoken opponents of American policy in Ireland. He's been at the forefront of organized protests and rallies directed at America for 30 years.
In the 1980s it was President Reagan that riled Higgins. During Reagan's short visit in June 1984 Higgins was a keen participant in the protests against Reagan at Shannon Airport, in Galway and then outside the Dáil (parliament) in Dublin when Reagan was speaking there.
During the 90s Higgins was opposed to the Gulf War and opposed various aspects of America's defense policies during the Clinton years.
Flash-forward to the Bush years. In the run-up to the Iraq war, Higgins was with the majority of Irish people in opposing the war, but he went further than most here when he declared that the American military was going to "wage war on a civilian population." Visions of American war crimes came easily to him. When the fighting started he denounced the Irish government's policy on allowing American troop planes to land and refuel at Shannon.
While he hasn't been a fan of a number of America's presidents, he has allied himself with some of America's enemies. He has been an admirer of Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba, cited Castro favorably in the Dáil and simultaneously demanded that America lift its embargo on trade with Cuba.
He also courted Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega. Higgins was also a supporter of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua and in 1989 he hosted Nicaragua's Sandinista President Daniel Ortega in his own home. In early 2003 he visited Iraq in order to get the Baathist perspective before the war had begun. In 2004 he took part in a candlelight vigil to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat.
Before you worry that Ireland has gone off the deep end with Higgins, there are a few caveats: (1) a majority of people were totally dissatisfied with options on offer during the election and Higgins' win was more a rejection of the others and an embrace of him and his views; (2) Higgins only polled around a third of the electorate, but gained a majority on transfers from the other candidates; and (3) the position he's won is mostly ceremonial with no influence on policy.
The last factor should mean that if Higgins does his job properly we'll hardly notice that he's in office during the next seven years. Higgins' is entitled to his views, which are to the left of the Irish population, but as President he's not in a position to make or even influence policy so his views shouldn't matter.
Yet, over the past 20 years Presidents Robinson and McAleese have managed to expand the role of the office beyond what was ever imagined when the constitution was first passed in 1937. One of the new roles of the President is leading trade and cultural delegations on trips abroad. Mary McAleese has made many such visits to different parts of America, where she never put a foot wrong.
Will Higgins be able to follow suit? I'm doubtful.
If Higgins were to go on a visit to America he would have to temper his reactions to those who hold opposing views to his. I'm not sure he can do this.
Last year Higgins turned the air blue during what had been a robust, but good-natured live radio debate between himself and Boston talk show host Michael Graham. The discussion ranged over a number of topics and Higgins got more and more wound up. Eventually he went off on Graham, urging him to support a national health care initiative for America and to "be proud to be a decent American rather than just a w****r". Whatever you may think of Graham's views they are not outside the American mainstream and Higgins couldn't cope with them.
The government would do well to take heed of Higgins' contempt for some aspects of the American people. An explosion like the one at Graham during a trade mission might cause the kind of upset that would drive potential jobs away from Ireland. In addition, his views on Israel might cause consternation in other quarters.
Overall, it would probably be a good thing if the next seven years did not include any Irish presidential visit to America.
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/the_american_in_ireland/elected-mich...
Today Ireland elected Michael D Higgins as president. Higgins, who lived and worked in America 40 years ago, is the most anti-American president Ireland has ever had.
As an American living in Ireland it has been clear to me that since the early 1980s Higgins has been among the most outspoken opponents of American policy in Ireland. He's been at the forefront of organized protests and rallies directed at America for 30 years.
In the 1980s it was President Reagan that riled Higgins. During Reagan's short visit in June 1984 Higgins was a keen participant in the protests against Reagan at Shannon Airport, in Galway and then outside the Dáil (parliament) in Dublin when Reagan was speaking there.
During the 90s Higgins was opposed to the Gulf War and opposed various aspects of America's defense policies during the Clinton years.
Flash-forward to the Bush years. In the run-up to the Iraq war, Higgins was with the majority of Irish people in opposing the war, but he went further than most here when he declared that the American military was going to "wage war on a civilian population." Visions of American war crimes came easily to him. When the fighting started he denounced the Irish government's policy on allowing American troop planes to land and refuel at Shannon.
While he hasn't been a fan of a number of America's presidents, he has allied himself with some of America's enemies. He has been an admirer of Fidel Castro's regime in Cuba, cited Castro favorably in the Dáil and simultaneously demanded that America lift its embargo on trade with Cuba.
He also courted Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega. Higgins was also a supporter of the Sandinista revolution in Nicaragua and in 1989 he hosted Nicaragua's Sandinista President Daniel Ortega in his own home. In early 2003 he visited Iraq in order to get the Baathist perspective before the war had begun. In 2004 he took part in a candlelight vigil to mourn the death of Yasser Arafat.
Before you worry that Ireland has gone off the deep end with Higgins, there are a few caveats: (1) a majority of people were totally dissatisfied with options on offer during the election and Higgins' win was more a rejection of the others and an embrace of him and his views; (2) Higgins only polled around a third of the electorate, but gained a majority on transfers from the other candidates; and (3) the position he's won is mostly ceremonial with no influence on policy.
The last factor should mean that if Higgins does his job properly we'll hardly notice that he's in office during the next seven years. Higgins' is entitled to his views, which are to the left of the Irish population, but as President he's not in a position to make or even influence policy so his views shouldn't matter.
Yet, over the past 20 years Presidents Robinson and McAleese have managed to expand the role of the office beyond what was ever imagined when the constitution was first passed in 1937. One of the new roles of the President is leading trade and cultural delegations on trips abroad. Mary McAleese has made many such visits to different parts of America, where she never put a foot wrong.
Will Higgins be able to follow suit? I'm doubtful.
If Higgins were to go on a visit to America he would have to temper his reactions to those who hold opposing views to his. I'm not sure he can do this.
Last year Higgins turned the air blue during what had been a robust, but good-natured live radio debate between himself and Boston talk show host Michael Graham. The discussion ranged over a number of topics and Higgins got more and more wound up. Eventually he went off on Graham, urging him to support a national health care initiative for America and to "be proud to be a decent American rather than just a w****r". Whatever you may think of Graham's views they are not outside the American mainstream and Higgins couldn't cope with them.
The government would do well to take heed of Higgins' contempt for some aspects of the American people. An explosion like the one at Graham during a trade mission might cause the kind of upset that would drive potential jobs away from Ireland. In addition, his views on Israel might cause consternation in other quarters.
Overall, it would probably be a good thing if the next seven years did not include any Irish presidential visit to America.
Read more: http://www.irishcentral.com/story/roots/the_american_in_ireland/elected-mich...
Michael D has America on his side :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S880UldxB1o&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S880UldxB1o&feature=player_embedded
Will be interesting how Kermit greets Trump in Shannon
He will, seeing as there'll be a reception and a carvery in it.
He always reminds me of the penguin figure from batman comics/movie
More calculating than the penguin even, he can affect different voices at the drop of a hat!
He has an accent to suit every occasion. Not a fan of the little man.
I thought Anaglogs Daughter was back with us for a second there,[ a good poster in his time] A closer look and it seems the the post was resurrected from the dead . last posted over 5years ago
Racingqueen created a thread about Michael D and Castro.it was thought provoking and current.
Our main complainer who disagrees with certain topics decided to try and gazump it by resurrecting this thread.
It illustrates the hypocrisy of the Urban Spaceman,he can discuss whatever he likes but this is to be denied others.
Our main complainer who disagrees with certain topics decided to try and gazump it by resurrecting this thread.
It illustrates the hypocrisy of the Urban Spaceman,he can discuss whatever he likes but this is to be denied others.
Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band "I'm the Urban Spaceman" .. just for you know who .. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVr2hbE6aW0
This political pontificator is abusing his office -using it as a soapbox for broadcasting his own ideology. The Presidency was never intended for this as we already have a top-heavy overloaded political system with two houses full of exponents of every shade of opinion.
All this nonsense confirms me further in my view that the Presidency is a superfluous institution and should be discarded at the earliest opportunity -should have been done years ago.
All this nonsense confirms me further in my view that the Presidency is a superfluous institution and should be discarded at the earliest opportunity -should have been done years ago.
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