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/
Never mind.
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.
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?
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.
It suits an agenda though
He isnt complaining about his workload and to suggest he is, is dismissing his concerns.
Somebody needs to change the thread title because it seems to be confusing an awful lot of people
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When did he not do his job?
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
Your are missing the point. He is not complaining about the workload. He is complaining about the cack handed way legislation is being passed at the moment. The legal process requires and demands more thought than the Government has been giving it in recent times. That is risky and bad practice.
You don’t appear to understand.
he didn’t complain about his own workload.
rgds
He took the job. He should do it rather than whine about the workload.
It's not only unexpected, it is unprecedented and a direct result of bad planning on the Government's part. Much of the recently rushed legislation has been caused by rash decisions being taken and implemented by Government, only to find out later that they actually required legislative input.
It is only right that the President raises a warning flag when he sees a problem arising with the political process... that is literally his job.
champagne socialist ? lol
pointlessly commenting on things you dont understand again regards jmcc ?
When did he moan to the media?
He was the one assuring all the other candidates in the debates that he knew what the presidency was about and what it entailed. He can hardly complain that this was unexpected.
i'm kinda bemused that people have such little care for the oversight of irish legislation, that when someone has 7 bills to scrutinise in seven days before signing them into law, that it's that person's fault for having that much legislation to read and understand.
So the RTE-installed Champagne socialist who claimed that he'd only serve one term found out that he has to work and has a bit of a hissy fit? :) Welcome to the real world.
I don't get it. Raise a valid issue about inconsistent workflow, response is ageist accusations of incompetence. I hope none of you manage people.
I am in the presidents corner here. If I recall he was sent 9 bills for signing in the Jan-June period and 9 in July alone including 7 in one day. I am not sure there is any job out there where the work load is that spread out and can be suddenly that intense. 7 Bills in one day means he has a day to review and decide on each bill, assuming he sleeps 8 hours a day and take 2 hours a day for meals means you are down to 14 hours to read, understand, confer with others and decide on each bill and that assumes that there is nothing else on his plate.
It is always an issue with the Dail that legislation is rushed towards Holiday time and better planning is needed on this point.
You'd need to be right thick to think that Higgins problem here is that he feels too overworked.
Its clear as day that he is making a point to the government about what they are doing.
My only problem is that he isn't being strong enough, he is being far too diplomatic.
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