Richard Bruton
Question:2 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Taoiseach the Government's plans to extend the role and functions of the President; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Role of President.
Mary Harney
Question:3 Miss Harney asked the Taoiseach if the Government intends to bring forward proposals to expand the role of the Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 and 3 together.
I refer the Deputies to my reply of 26 January 1994. While no proposals in this regard are being considered by the Government at present, I can assure the House that the Government will continue to accommodate the President in every way possible and to support the role of her office, as we have always done, while maintaining excellent working relations with her office.
Would the Taoiseach agree that Government control over the speeches and the international travel of the President are enabling——
Deputy Bruton, the questions I have allowed are questions of a general nature concerning the Presidency and possible constitutional or legislative change. There can be no reference whatsoever to the existing incumbent of the Presidency. I want to make that quite clear.
I did not mention the President. I do not understand the Chair's ruling. Are you suggesting that my supplementary question was out of order?
I am suggesting that you are veering into the area of the present incumbent of the office.
I was not seeking to do so. If I had an opportunity to complete my question you would see that.
Let us hear the question.
Would the Taoiseach agree that the control which the Government has over speeches and international travel of any President are designed to enable the use of those powers for the benefit of Ireland and not for stonewalling opportunities? Could I further ask——
You are getting close to the bone.
Very skilful.
The Deputy must not encroach on the incumbent of the Office of the President as it is against the rules of this House.
I am confident I have not done so.
He may not get around it in a circuitous manner.
I am not seeking to do so, but to raise legitimate issues.
Will the Taoiseach indicate if the two parties in Government are at one on expanding the Office of Presidency given the recent statements by the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs that he would like to see the Office expanded but that it was a matter for the Government?
Does the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs mean he will build an extension to the Park?
I reject the imputation of stonewalling on the relationship between the Government and the President. This is non-existent but perhaps is the figment of somebody's imagination. Everybody accepts that the activities of the Office of the President have been expanded considerably over the past few years. This has occurred with the agreement of the Government within existing constitutional and legal parameters. There are long standing conventions that govern the relations between the Office of the President and the Government and they are being adhered to. We are fully supportive of the role of the President and it should be clear that it has been considerably expanded.
The role has been expanded because we have a vocal and visable self-starter as President. Does the Taoiseach accept that as we will not have constitutional change any change in the role of the Presidency will mean changes in the law and that they can only be exercised by the President on the advice of the Government?
I reject the speculation on the relationship between the Office of the Presidency and the Government. It is an inappropriate use of language to refer to the Government as muzzling and fettering the actions of the President. This is a totally inappropriate way to describe what somebody may believe to be the type of relationship that exists. I have no intention of expressing a view about unidentified sources in the media who speculate in this area. Let me leave it at that.
I asked the Taoiseach a specific question to which he did not reply. Will he accept that if there is to be no constitutional change in the role of the Presidency other changes brought about as a result of laws passed by this House could only be exercised by the President on the advice of the Government?
That would be the case.
It is not the role of the President that has been expanded but the activities of the President under the role as defined in the Constitution. Will the Taoiseach indicate whether the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs was speaking on behalf of the Government when he indicated last week that he favoured an expansion of the role of the President which clearly implies a change in the constitutional position?
In his RTE interview, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs gave no definitive commitment to bring forward new legislation in this regard.
It was just hot air.