Is this due to the workload or because he is 80? And there is still 4 years left in his second term.
RTE news : President expresses concern over volume of legislation
http://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0729/1238070-higgins-letter-oireachtas/
Too much legislation being forwarded? Not enough time to consider it all? He's being paid to do a job. He should do it.
Regards...jmcc
When did he not do his job?
The problem is he had to be diplomatic. He is very limited in his remit in this regard.
I dare anyone giving out here to read through the nine pieces of legislation in one day and have them all rubber stamped within a week. Just the usual cohorts who don’t actually understand the importance of the office.
He is doing his job but rushing through legislation is the issue. It's also drastically changed during his presidency so he's highlighting it.
Not a fan MDH at all, I just don't like the man to be honest, but, he's 100% right to fire a shot in this regard. It's ludicrous that somebody could digest that much legal work in such a short time frame.
Idiots complaining about the presidency being a rubber stamp whilst simultaneously complaining someone takes the presidency seriously.
It's actually bloody well hilarious how ironic it is and the level of cognitive dissonance you have to achieve to hold these views.
He’s not struggling with workload.
He’s questioning the volume of legislative change being put forward. These things take time and it feels like this government are moving a lot of mountains, he’s right to be concerned.
It’s very definitely a diplomatically put statement that the government has been passing very rushed legislation in copious amounts.
I doubt Michael D is a rubber stamping service. There’ll be scrutiny of legislation and analysis going on. If he had concerns, I think you’d be looking at a conferring with the council of state and possibly referring to the Supreme Court.
If anything the statement sounds like he takes the role very seriously.
Going back to Mary Robinson and McAleese, I think the presidency has been very active. Prior to that, some of the presidents were barely noticed.
Despite his age, I can’t really see Michael D being anything other than active.
That statement was very definitely a subtle reminder that the presidency isn’t to be taken for granted.
Very unusual for him to make a public statement like that, things must be bad. I suspect that what is happening here is (based on my experience in the public service) that government and possibly the CS are
-putting issues on the long finger
-operating in a reactive and shambolic manner
-panicking and rushing things and looking to make them someone else's problem
Similar to a rubbish boss who is asked for a complex report months ago but only passes it on to one of his staff on a Friday afternoon of a bank holiday weekend and it needs to be done NOW and must be PERFECT.
I absolutely do feel for the president and am not dismissing his concerns in any way. But there are many out there also struggling immensley with ridiculous workloads during this pandemic. The president is not alone in this regard.
Legislation can only and should only be referred to the Supreme Court if its constitutionality is in question. This idea that the President should just start referring legislation for no reason other than some people dont like the legislation is nonsense and even in some cases potentially dangerous because it blocks further possible legal challenge
Somebody needs to change the thread title because it seems to be confusing an awful lot of people
He isnt complaining about his workload and to suggest he is, is dismissing his concerns.
It suits an agenda though
This is infact NOT what I said, I raised the ligitimate concern that if the President was in essence Rushed, Under pressure etc, there's a strong possibility legislation he's signing into law has not infact been properly Scrutinised. He states quite clearing large voumnes of legislation which we already know was rushed through the Dail, landed on his Desk to be dealt with.
One would assume, Hope he carefully reads the legislation but by default and on his own admission, he was put under pressure. I'm only suggesting, given these circumstances there is, no matter how small, a possibility the legislation is not being fully scrutinised before be signed into law.
I've made no reference to liking or disliking any of the legislation forwarded to him albeit I would have to say, it was certainly rushed, no one is denying that.
He said he had not enough time to properly study the legislations thoroughly.
Did he sign all legislation? And if he had not enough time to study them why did he sign?
Pretty sure it's a combo of deadlines and refusing to sign means he would have to constitutionally challenge. If he did, it wouldn't be possible to challenge it again.
Never mind.
This is a question I'd like answered also 🤔
Surely the answer then is to take this power away from the president and put it in the hands of those qualified to read legislation for constitutionality (that way there can be a team of people available). I don't think winning a popularity contest would qualify someone for this job (would Dana have been qualified or Sean Gallagher?).
They can still ask for a presidential rubber stamp, but someone qualified to do so will effectively have made the final decision.
That's basically what landed him in the Aras: a simple popularity contest with FF/FG/Labour backing one candidate and a lot of the electorate not even bothering to vote. He's not a lawyer. Robinson and McAleese were lawyers.
"All Kinds of every legislation, reminds me of you" 😂😂😂, o dear God, could you imagine Dana in the Aras, now that would be a pain in the Aras!! 😁
would people consider that departments leave legislation till the last minute on purpose to bounce TDs/Senators into voting for it
Those qualified to read it do when required also. Regardless, you have a setup that processed the same amount of legislation in 6 months as they were then asked to do essentially in a week. It doesn't matter who the people are or what the set up is, it is going to be incredibly difficult to cope with that.
Sending 9 pieces of legislation to the Áras in one day isn't necessary, its a choice by the Oireachtas for some reason. This is essentially no different to govts curtailing debate on legislation and forcing votes without giving legislators time to read it.
A lot of people are thick. A new thread title won't change that.
He gets paid 250k a year if he can't do the job they should get someone else to do it.
Michael D isn’t reading them either. A staff member does a summary, if anything is particularly controversial he will have a closer look at that, if not onto the next.
Yes, that's definitely what this is about. You've definitely read the thread properly and have a full understanding of what the president was saying.
What makes you think he’s not doing his job?
I'm sure all those people saying he should just hop on with it would be just thrilled to turn up for surgery to find the doctor is trying to do several surgeries at once, cause after all they are highly paid and should just get on with it.
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