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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 21 Jul 1959

Vol. 176 No. 11

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - References to the President.

2.

asked the Taoiseach if his attention has been drawn to the statement of the Tánaiste of the 12th instant referring to past activities of the President; and, whether in order to avoid controversy, he will take the steps necessary to ensure that references to the President in a political context by members of the Government are not made in the future.

I have seen newspaper reports of the statement by the Tánaiste referred to in the Deputy's Question.

The remarks reported as having been made by the Tánaiste concerning the President relate to events which occurred many years ago and which were of such a nature that they could not give rise to political controversy now. The Deputy may be assured that no statement will be made by any member of the Government that would be inappropriate in relation to the Constitutional position of the office of President or would, in any way, tend to impair the respect which is due to the holder of that office.

Does that mean that you are going to lock up the Tánaiste? As long as he is loose, the will say anything.

Would the Taoiseach not agree, at the same time, that if references are made to the President by members of the Government Party, even about events that occurred a long time ago, that does allow the Opposition to have the same liberty and, in these circumstances, surely it is not unlikely that political controversy would arise on this question, which would be most undersirable?

Is the Taoiseach aware that the President's name is being used in the Clare election as a vote-catcher?

Particularly by the Minister for External Affairs. Would the Taoiseach specifically obtain from anybody in the area the speech made by the Minister for External Affairs the other day in, I think, Killaloe— East Clare—when, most improperly, he said the President would wish a certain candidate returned in this by-election?

The privillege of questioning Ministers about their speeches is a one way affair. May I reply to Deputy Dr. Browne? It is obviously a matter for individual judgment. Clearly, we cannot contemplate a situation where no reference at all can be made to the history of this country in the past 40 years.

The President is still a political figure, then.

Would the Taoiseach agree that if members of the Government are to take the initiative in bespeaking votes for the Fianna Fáil candidate in the name of the present President, it becomes inevitable——

The reference in the speech to which the question relates dealt with an action by Mr. de Valera when he was President of the League of Nations.

That is all right but now we have to deal also with references made by the Minister for External Affairs.

He did not make any such statement.

Statements which the mass of the people listening to the Minister understood him to make. In those circumstances, does the Taoiseach appreciate that members of the Opposition will be driven, in the discharge of their public duty, to rebut what the mass of the people have understood a member of the Government to have said?

I have no knowledge of what the Deputy is referring to. All I can say is that, while the President is certainly outside politics now——

Mirabile dictu.

——it would be inconceivable that anybody could make intelligent reference to any important event in this country in the past 40 years without having to take note of the fact that he was probably involved.

Even that observation is liable to draw comment from this side of the House.

I want to say quite definitely that I did not bespeak votes for the Fianna Fáil candidate on the grounds that the President wanted him returned. That is quite untrue.

Then the Minister mentioned the President?

I did, yes.

In view of the admission by the Minister for External Affairs that he did mention the President, will the Taoiseach not appreciate that, once the President's name is brought into a by-election meeting, inevitably it is going to mean that he is going to become a political football? We, of course, took the view immediately after the last President was elected that, when he was elected, he was President and that ended politics in the matter. I take it that should be the case now. Otherwise, if members of the Government are going to mention him at election meetings, we shall do the same.

May I express the hope that in future our political controversies will be concerned more with future policies than with past events?

Hear, hear! I hope the Taoiseach's colleagues will take particular note of that.

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