Gardai Investigating Voter-Registration promo

Little CuChulainn wrote: »

It's not valid. It's a human rights issue, not a political one.

Unfortunately for the time being in this little country of ours, it's both.
You have to look at it this way - the Gardai are tasked with upholding the law. If the force were to support a vote to go one way, and the vote went the other, what do you think that does for the public confidence in the ability of Gardai to do their job - upholding laws that the force as a whole publicly disagrees with?

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

while i agree that it is a human rights issue, urging people to register to vote is a political act. the gardai should be apolitical.

Actually I don't see the act of urging people to register to be wrong at all. It's impartial. OK, so it's getting involved in the political sphere, though it's not interfering in politics.

Along with the president, I consider one the core functions of the defence forces to be the support and promotion of the democratic process, and encouraging people to register falls well within that function.

That's just my opinion though.

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

whether you agree or not is irrelevant. they shouldnt have done it.

And I disagree and disagree it was political? Shall we go round in circles?

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Why is it part of the gardais brief to encourage people to register? as i asked earlier, when have they done this for previous referenda and elections?

All this has done is given the No side another opportunity to play the victim card. Its just more ammunition for them.

Nail on head.

floggg wrote: »

Edited. I disagree it's political - which is ultimately a matter of opinion.

We accept that politicans can appear in different capacities at events. If Michael Martin lends his face to a charity event, it doesn't become a FF event.

Same principle.

Michael Martin is not the police.

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Why is it part of the gardais brief to encourage people to register?

I explained why I think it is.

as i asked earlier, when have they done this for previous referenda and elections?

All this has done is given the No side another opportunity to play the victim card. Its just more ammunition for them.

I don't disagree at all. And neither do the Garda press office.

The Garda PR guys have been working overtime in recent months, and no doubt someone saw this as a great opportunity to build Garda PR within the student bodies, where that relationship is pretty rocky. But it was a bit of a bum call.

Ultimately though I don't think it will hurt them. We all know who complained about this and why they complained, and even though they are right I don't think this will damage the Gardai at all.

seamus wrote: »

I explained why I think it is.


....

actually you didnt.


you said

Actually I don't see the act of urging people to register to be wrong at all. It's impartial. OK, so it's getting involved in the political sphere, though it's not interfering in politics.

that doesnt explain why it is the duty of the gardai to encourage people to vote. It simply is something they shouldnt be involved in. even if they did it in an impartial way. they are meant to be not just impartial but also apolitical.

smash wrote: »

I don't think the Garda was in the wrong at all for jumping in for a photo op. Bear in mind that An Garda Síochána were previously announced as Employer of the Year at 2010 Gay and Lesbian Awards. Was what the did a political act? You could say no, it was just our national police force standing for equality as they've done for years.

what they did was overtly political. the gardai themselves have admitted this already.

seamus wrote: »

I also said this:

Along with the president, I consider one the core functions of the defence forces to be the support and promotion of the democratic process, and encouraging people to register falls well within that function.

It is not the function of the gardai to promote the democratic process. they exist entirely outside of it. or at least they should. Certainly they should be protecting it where there are attempts to distort it by illegal means but that is the end of their remit.

smash wrote: »

The Gardai can state that they knew it was an event organised by the yes side an as such they deployed staff in case there was any altercations. The Garda herself can state that she did what she did of her own accord. I doubt she'll get in much trouble for it. Or at least in my opinion, she shouldn't.

while she is wearing the uniform nothing she does is of her own account. People are still trying to excuse when even the gardai admit they are wrong. unbelievable.

smash wrote: »

Well yes people will excuse what she's done. Certainly everyone on the yes side will, because the yes side are of the opinion that this is a human rights issue. So fair play to the Gardai for standing up for human rights.

No, I think what happened was wrong, and I'm very much on the Yes side.

I think that it will be blown out of all proportion though, and that is important for me - the scale of the protest is not at all proportionate to the scale of the mistake.

listermint wrote: »

I wouldnt have heard about this only for this thread. So 'scale' doesnt really fit i think.

From the OP:

Mothers and Fathers Matter campaign spokesman Keith Mills described the presence of a uniformed garda at a yes campaign event as a “sinister development” and a blatant attempt to politicise the gardaí.

although maybe the word I should have used is 'reaction' rather than 'protest'.

suicide_circus wrote: »

Michael Martin is not the police.

No, in this instance Michael Martin is the judge.

Just because she is part of the campaign, it doesn't mean that everything she does is part of the campaign.

She's promoting registration. Not a vote one way or the other.