Presidential Election 2025

In terms of the primary duties/functions of the President, namely;

• Appointment of the Taoiseach, members of the Government, judges and other officials;
• Summoning and dissolving the Dáil, and convening the Oireachtas;
• Signing legislation into law and/or referring Bills to the Supreme Court;
  

the most experienced of those declared (I am assuming FG will ratify their only applicant) in how the above works is Catherine Connolly by a country mile.
Far as I know Mairead McGuinness has no experience of the Dáil and if Heenan is nominated she is well behind the curve too. MLMD, if she declares, would have similar experience to Connolly, although Connolly's role as Leas Ceann Comhairle would put her ahead in experience terms.

And exactly how many times did she stand in for the Ceann Comhairle at meetings of the Presidential Commission.

My understanding is that the last act of the Presidential Commission was to sign the Marraige Act in 2015. I could be wrong, but maybe you have more information.

Still doesn't get away from the FACT that Heenan has more experience than Connolly in matters of the Presidency.

blanch. I am not trying to cast shade on a single target, like you did.

I expect and assume that anyone entering this race has all the necessary knowledge of what the job entails. Connolly, Heenan, McGuinnes MLMD etc.
You of course are guessing and we could have easily guessed what you'd arrive at.

In terms of relevant experience I think that somebody who has served in the Dáil and who understands how it works and how it creates bills & legislation is way ahead given that the job of President has as one of it's primary functions the requirement to scrutinise that process. They don't have to transfer any skills or work out the differences in how the system works.

I accept that someone with experience at EU level would have things to bring to the job but they'd be lacking in the nuance ad subtleties of how the home parliament works that a long served TD would just know.

You have.

But then, as I said, I could have guessed you would.

Disagree.

If somebody shows they don't understand what the job entails, that is taken into account.

We now have the idiotic suggestion that a person' judgement has to tally with blanch's judgement to be the correct call.
Previously we have heard the same poster call out the current incumbent because his judgement calls on what he says do not tally with blanch's judgement calls.

How absurd is this all gonna get?

I assume it until I know different.

You butted into a conversation I was having with somebody else by the way.

Mod: warning given

I don't see a contradiction.

I assume those who have entered the race, Connolly and McGuinness (who has entered it and is awaiting party ratification) know what the job entails.
Neither of them have shown me they don't know what the job entails.

If they do, then my assumption changes.

So, as I said, you assume far too much. Candidates, possibly even a majority of them some years, have clearly not understood the job in 1997, 2011 and 2018.

You are aware how a discussion forum works, aren't you?

What has any of that got to do with my assessment of those currently going forward?

Which bit of, if they demonstrate they don't know the job then my assumption changes don't you understand?

As far as I know, and you can correct me if I am wrong, it hasn't met since 2015.

A body which acts when required in the absence of the President

They do not meet or act unless they are required to, which is astoundingly rarely.

How do you know what my view of past candidates was? You are making assumptions now not to mention giving patronising advice. .

I assume they know until they show they don't. Same as if I am interviewing someone for a job, I assume they know how to do that job until they show they don't.

I didn't know what either of them understood about the job until I heard them talk about it.
When you first heard Peter Casey's name did you just assume he wouldn't know???

What is your point here?