The President should be given the power to draw up an honours list recognising the exceptional contribution of citizens, according to the report of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution, due to be published today.
The committee was also asked to examine whether the President should continue to be obliged to make a religious declaration at his or her inauguration. It decided not to come down in favour of any specific change in the format of the present declaration. However, the report goes on to recommend that, if the President wishes, he or she should be free to omit the words "In the presence of Almighty God . . ." from the declaration.
It also proposes that 10,000 citizens should be allowed, under strict legislation, to nominate a presidential candidate and that the age of eligibility for holding the office of First Citizen should be reduced from 35 to 18 years.
The 12-strong Oireachtas Committee, established in October 1997 and chaired by Fianna Fail TD, Mr Brian Lenihan, has spent a year examining the role and functions of the President as laid out in the Whitaker report on reform of the Constitution. The committee's report will now go to the Government.
The only new power that the report suggests should be given to the President concerns the right to confer titles of honour on citizens. However, it says, the President should have to consult the Council of State beforehand.
The Republic has no honours system and, according to the report, the introduction of such public recognition would "give to Ireland a stimulus to excellence and enhance diplomatic relations by allowing the State to reciprocate honours".
Sources in the committee last night suggested that if there was to be an honours list, it should be "beyond party politics". Having been lobbied by youth organisations calling for a lowering of the age of eligibility in future presidential election campaigns, the committee decided to recommend a reduction in the minimum age from 35 to 18. This was based on the fact that Irish citizens can vote at 18, but informed sources said it was "very unlikely" that a person under the age of 35 would end up becoming President.
Meanwhile, in an attempt to broaden the scope for nominating candidates for presidential elections, the committee proposes that 10,000 citizens should be allowed nominate a candidate, but that strict legislation be enacted to govern this area. They should be named on the electoral registrar and be obliged to fill out appropriate forms at a public office.
At present 20 TDs and senators are permitted to nominate a candidate, but this figure, according to the report, should be reduced to 10. The procedure should remain whereby four county councils are entitled to nominate a candidate - a system used by Mrs Rosemary Scallon and Mr Derek Nally in last year's presidential election.
The reports confirms that the President should continue to be described as Head of State.
The First Citizen should, it says, also continue to have an absolute discretion to refuse a dissolution of the Dail. Under present arrangements, the President can refuse dissolution of the Dail to a Taoiseach who has lost majority support in the House. Recommending that the status quo prevail, the committee expresses the wish that the President should not enter into "the strategy and calculation of the political parties".
Nor should the President have a role in the formation of a new Government, the report adds. It was the function of the Dail to produce a Government.
The report also deals with the Presidential Commission and the Council of State.
The members of the All-Party Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution are:
Chairman: Mr Brian Lenihan TD (FF); vice-chairman: Mr Jim O'Keeffe TD (FG); Mr Brendan Daly TD (FF), Senator John Dardis (PD), Mr Thomas Enright TD (FG), Mr Seamus Kirk TD (FF), Mr Derek McDowell TD (Lab), Ms Marian McGennis TD (FF), Ms Liz McManus TD (DL), Senator Denis O'Donovan (FF), Senator Fergus O'Dowd (FG) and Senator Kathleen O'Meara (Lab).
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