David Norris Resigns

Norrie Rugger Head

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2024/0122/1427954-david-norris/

Announced his intentions a while back, so no surprise there but...

The man drove massive social change, in this country, in the dark days of Catholic Grip. Much of our progress, as a society, can be linked with his work in decriminalising homosexuality. To see a half empty Seanad with some pricks on their phone, while he is giving his resignation speech, is a massive insult to that legacy.

All IMHO, obviously

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332688/david-norris-resigns

He did indeed drive some very positive social changes. It's just a shame that he was taking a disability pension from Trinity while being paid as a Senator for much of that time.

SuperBowserWorld

Funny, intelligent, articulate and brave. A patriot. We have very few people in public life like that. But, he had some controversies, which was the end of his political career.

Also, I blame him for allowing Leo Varadkar to weasel some popularity 😁😁😁

Senators on their phones during this at the Senad should be called out and fired for being disrespectful to the Irish electorate. Not because Norris resigned, but because they are complete turnips.

pixelburp

A man who proved politics wasn't about the man, but the ideal. I thought Norris was a pompous blowhard who loved the sound of his own voice ... ... but he stood up and often was the sole gay voice at a time when homosexuality was criminalised, othered and despised by a great many of those who didn't know better.

He had a bunch of controversies all right, but in terms of social change he was a massive figure at a time when to put yourself in that spotlight was to invite danger and condemnation. Norris' articulate, intellectual nature ensured the topic of decriminalisation was treated seriously, and we are where we are because of an older generation of gay folk like Norris.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655398#Comment_121655398

Absolutely. If I sit on my phone in work I’ll get chewed out and subsequently fcuked out.

Why are we paying politicians €€€€’s a week to barely pay attention when they’re in a session? It’s the same shite during the budget etc.

Sorry like but if you’re going to be on the phone why bother coming!

gmisk

My favourite clip lol

https://twitter.com/handsome_booger/status/1749421429496402354?t=r9cAQuRfGJTL897IvRWiRw&s=19

Redneck Avenger

I would like to see him as President replacing President Higgins.

Norrie Rugger Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121656153#Comment_121656153

He's off to Cyprus apparently for retirement.

He's gotten very frail looking, of late, even for a 79 year old

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058332688/david-norris-resigns

It’s also tough to get past the McGill interview that help torpedo his presidential campaign…

At the very worst an out an out creep, at best.. an absolute outstanding level of poor judgment in choosing the words that he did and expressing that sentiment…Mind blowing levels of ignorance on his behalf….

On the age of consent… “ I would hope we could produce a society where people would be inclined to draw lines for themselves "

thats a pretty horrific statement…

yes a very articulate, engaging and educated man but also he was in many aspects quite disassociated from reality…

I think if he’d have been elected president, there would have been serious question marks as to his ability or willingness to maintain levels of diplomacy and good judgement at least to the extent that the role would demand both at home and abroad….far too often he had the propensity to get overly emotive or as above, just blurt out grim stuff..

one thing I noticed from his resignation, he looks extremely pale and seems to have lost weight. 79 now I’m seeing so maybe it’s just an age thing…but hmmm.

did he ever seek a seat in the Dáil ? I can recall or see any mention of it… which is peculiar for a person in politics so long….

Made a nice living in politics here, wasn’t my cup of tea but anyway…

Beta Ray Bill

Was never a fan of Mr Norris.

He's been a Senator since the 1980's, sitting in Seanad all those years telling us "What he thinks".

And on that he's said some weird things. Questionable comments on the on the Matt Cooper show and that whole Ezra Nawi thing was very weird

I surprised he lasted... then again... it is the Seanad

I hate the Seanad, I cannot directly vote for a person there. Still incredible in my mind that that it wasn't abolished in the 2009 referendum.

Norrie Rugger Head

The referendum was pitched as abolish or reform. When it was defeated; Kenny, who wanted even this little check on the cabinet's power removed, decided to ignore the reform aspect. It's like if he couldn't remove it he would keep it irrelevant

That referendum was 2013, no?

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121694035#Comment_121694035

It absolutely was not pitched as abolish or reform, the government were very clear that it was abolish or keep exactly as is because they thought that was an easier way to win.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121694035#Comment_121694035

The people pitching it as abolish of reform were outright lying to retain it

It was abolish or retain as is, no changes. Reform was never on the table and the people who pushed the "retain and reform" lie have done absolutely nothing to even try reform it since. Some of them have since been in the cabinet!

Norrie Rugger Head

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121697344#Comment_121697344

Don't disagree at all with this. It was pitched by one side as reformist but never in the wording but there was an appetite for true reform but that would mean making the upper house relevant.

Really do think that Kenny absolutely hated that result and not for any sense of funding waste towards the Seanad

Extending the franchise to other 3rd level graduates doesn't cut it but how long has that been held back anyway?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121697406#Comment_121697406

1979 was the referendum to extend to all graduates. Supreme Court has given a sufficient delay that almost certainly the next election will still be Trinity and NUI constituencies.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655373#Comment_121655373

Ah no, not this again.

Like a lot of civil and public servants, he paid his own money into an income continuance plan because pre-1995 civil and public servants had (and have) no entitlement to PRSI-related benefits whatsoever in the event of illness, etc.

He drew down from that scheme when he suffered ill-health sufficient to meet the qualification criteria. The scheme deductions from salary were adminstered by TCD on behalf of the private plan provider, and similarly the benefits were paid out by TCD salares section on behalf of the provider. There was no taxpayers' money involved.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703020#Comment_121703020

How can you be too ill to be an academic but healthy enough to be a Senator?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703401#Comment_121703401

Senator is a part-time job.

The salary is not sufficient to consider it as a full-time role, considering you expect experienced people to do it - indeed they're meant to be more experienced than TDs as they are meant to be the place of review of the Dáil.

Their secretarial staff unfortunately get a similarly reduced salary despite it not being possible to do that as a part time job.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703404#Comment_121703404

Are all the Assistant Principal officers in the civil service, who's salary the Senator role is matched to, also a part time job for experienced people?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703409#Comment_121703409

Senators are meant to be experienced elder statesmen/women; vastly beyond AP grade - more Sec Gen. You can get to AP and AP equivalent grades after a few years in certain roles.

And CS/PS salaries for technical roles are comically crap.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703414#Comment_121703414

Nothing in the job spec for Senators about them being elderly. Ask Lynn Ruane or Eileen Fitzgerald.

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703421#Comment_121703421

Elder doesn't mean elderly. But regardless, they are meant to be an experienced upper house.

Who is Eileen Fitzgerald?

I suspect I know who you mean, but it shows that even you don't really care about the Senate if you can't vaguely get her name right.

Its a part time job. Always has been, always will be.

Ezeoul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121703401#Comment_121703401

Even people on the State Disability Allowance are allowed to work a number of hours a week.

Hotblack Desiato

The way Norris was treated during his presidential campaign was an utter disgrace.

The continual misrepresentation about his illness and leaving his lecturing post was just one example.

Why did he feel the need to state that he got hepatitis from contaminated water?

Because he's GAAAAYYYYY and the unprinted but very much hinted at rumour was that it was some form of sexually transmitted disease 🙄

Hermy

His improper use of Seanad Eireann headed paper to defend a raptist was also an utter disgrace.