THE TYPE of sharp attacks made by senior Fine Gael figures on Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness were to be expected in an election campaign, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said yesterday.
However, Mr Kenny said he personally would not be criticising any of the presidential candidates.
At the official launch of the campaign of Fine Gael presidential contender Gay Mitchell, Mr Kenny was repeatedly asked for his response to weekend comments by Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan and Government Chief Whip Paul Kehoe.
Mr Hogan had said the election of a “former terrorist” to Áras an Uachtaráin would jeopardise foreign investment and Mr Kehoe said on Twitter that the Sinn Féin candidate had the proceeds of the Northern Bank robbery of 2004 at his disposal.
Pressed as to whether he supported their views, the Taoiseach said that, “in every election campaign, you are going to have comments [made] by people in the heat of battle, these are electoral comments”, but he was personally focusing on Mr Mitchell and his credentials.
Asked if he believed Mr McGuinness was a “terrorist”, the Taoiseach said: “I will not comment on any candidate in this campaign except the Fine Gael candidate, Gay Mitchell.”
Asked if he would encourage his Ministers to refrain from such attacks on other candidates, he said: “The Taoiseach of the day has to have a particular relationship with the uachtarán who is elected by the people.” He added that “members of all parties campaign in their own ways in respect of their individual candidates”.
When it was put to him that he was “dodging the issue”, Mr Kenny replied: “I support the democratic process, which allows for good, vigorous and robust debate in the electoral process.
“I also understand the importance of the particular position that the Taoiseach of the day has to hold in respect of the person to be elected here by the people.” He denied that the Fine Gael party was using a dual strategy, pointing out that in any election campaign “things can be said”.
“For me, for the job that I occupy as Taoiseach, who has to have a working relationship with whoever the people select, I will not comment on the personalities or otherwise of any other candidate in this campaign except the candidate that my party has nominated and that’s Gay Mitchell.”
Asked if Fine Gael would have a vote transfer agreement with its Labour partners in Government for the election, Mr Kenny said: “I will certainly discuss that with the Tánaiste and leader of the Labour Party, Eamon Gilmore.
“I’m sure that Gay Mitchell will be very happy to have that; equally sure that Michael D wouldn’t mind it either,” he said.
Speaking at the launch in the Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin, Mr Mitchell said the next president should have “overall responsibility for the planning and organisation” of the 1916 centenary commemorations in five years’ time.
He added: “I would use my national and international know-how to work with the government of the day, to create a commemoration that is truly inclusive.”
He again highlighted his personal background, how he was the youngest of nine children when his father died and his mother had to work as a cleaner to support her large family.
He said the next presidency should reflect his mother’s qualities of “being steady, reliable, honest, hard-working, interested in others”.
Mr Mitchell pledged to use the presidency to assist organisations combating suicide, which he described as “a horror that stalks this land” and was claiming about 600 people a year.
MITCHELL'S ISSUES FIVE KEY POINTS
* President should be in charge of planning 1916 centenary.
* President should work with organisations to prevent suicide, now running at about 600 a year.
* Would set up an initiative working with other heads of state to reduce child mortality in the developing world from current 22,000 per day.
* Would appoint an Irish person living abroad, or one of their descendants, to the Council of State, on a rotating basis, one each year for seven years.
* Would work jointly with Queen Elizabeth to “unite hearts and respect cultures” in the North.
