John Halligan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It would be impossible to do justice to the remarkable influence which the former South African President and national leader had on his country and the world. Without a doubt, his reforms and ideals are something to which current political leaders should look for the betterment of their nations.

In the many tributes from all over the world, Mandela has been described as an inspiration, an icon, a luminary, a humanitarian, a radical, a leader. It is certainly difficult to find a comparative figure in history who was an iconic dissident figure and central to building a new political system. Some of the more interesting summaries and recollections I have read have drawn sharp contrasts with the lack of long-term vision which marks today's world leaders apart from Mandela. Others have noted how younger generations might be inclined to think on Mandela as a kind, elderly statesman. One could forgive the mistake, given the direction that some of the revisionist celebrations of his life have taken. One cannot but be struck at the hypocrisy of many who now praise the life of this former political prisoner. One of the most compelling articles of all was an obituary in The New York Times.

The obituary quoted an interview with Mandela in 2007 in which he was openly scornful about his successor. Apparently, Mandela had requested that the New York Timesnot publish these comments until after his death. On the question of keeping hatred in check after everything he had endured, Mandela said: "Hating clouds the mind. It gets in the way of strategy. Great leaders cannot afford to hate".

Leaders like Nelson Mandela are thin on the ground these days and strong ideals and convictions are almost as scarce. However, his unwavering support and advocacy for social inclusiveness is something that every government, including our Government, should strive towards.

The gap between Ireland's rich and poor has widened dramatically in recent years. According to a new analysis by Social Justice Ireland, the top 20% of earners have increased their disposable income in Ireland since 2008 by 20% while the poorest in our society have lost 18.4% of real disposable income. As leaders of all parties stand today and pay tribute to the socially inclusive ideals of Nelson Mandela, I urge them to consider the increasing inequality which they are allowing to develop far closer to home and the shadow which this will cast over future generations.

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