Denis Landy (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House and reiterate the comments of Senator Keane on his recent bereavement. In every organisation and every walk of life there are rules. The Minister of State will know as a lover of hurling that there are rules for the ages of teams, such as an under-21 rule where Waterford have a good crop at the moment. Players under 21 can play senior hurling but players over 21 cannot play under-21 hurling.

In this situation the rule according to the Constitution is that a person has to be over 35 to stand for the Presidency. The age at which one may stand for the Seanad or the Dáil or in the European elections is 21 and for local elections it is 18. I know of one or two who have been elected at that age but there are not too many.

The decision of the Government to bring forward this amendment has been well explained by the Minister of State and other speakers as arising from the Constitutional Convention. Many things were discussed at that convention and this is but one of them but this is the one that presents before us for a referendum in May. No one of us Members is, so to speak, more equal or less equal than any other citizen in a vote in a referendum and that is the great thing about our Constitution. Each one of us has a vote in the ballot box.Were one to judge by the decision of the Constitutional Convention, I understand there was a majority of 3% in favour of recommending this proposal. I am aware, from discussions I have had with people on this issue across various spheres of society, there is division regarding this issue as well. It has been well noted by other speakers that the youngest-ever President was 46 while the oldest was 78. I read the transcript of the contributions in the Lower House on this issue of which there were very few, that is, four excluding those of the Ministers. Hopefully, interest in the referendum among the public will be greater than that and I believe it will. I believe there is good interest in this issue. I have come up through youth organisations and was involved in representing young people in various organisations in my younger years. However, I also respect views expressed by other speakers on this issue to the effect that when people get greater experience, they perceive matters differently. Gravitas was the word used and people have life experience to enable them to handle issues differently. I also believe there is a vibrancy, vitality and energy in young people that perhaps one loses as one gets older.

What is the correct mix to represent this country as President? For me, the jury is out on that although obviously, I will make a decision and will vote on the proposal when the time comes. In Ireland, however, we always seem to look to other countries for guidance. Much has been made here today about the various age limits such as those in France and Italy of 18 and 50, respectively, and so on. That is the beauty of the Constitution and of the sovereignty of the people of Ireland. We will decide ourselves what is best for us. This issue will be decided on 22 May, along with the marriage equality referendum. I will respect whatever the people decide. To be honest, at present I am in favour of retention of the 35-year age limit. However, I am open to being convinced as the debate progresses. It is an apt selection by the Government from the various issues that were brought up at the Constitutional Convention. I believe there will be a good debate on this issue in the coming weeks and that a decision will be made by which people can stand.

We have seen great Presidents and all our Presidents have been great in the era they represented. While I will not single out any President, the Presidents of the current era may not have been suitable for the times at the beginning of the State and vice versa. However, each of them served this country well in his or her own way. As Senator Ó Murchú has noted, when they travel across the world to represent Ireland, they do us proud and all of them have done that. I do not remember any issue in respect of any President where I would suggest the country was poorly or badly represented or that something happened with which one could not agree. I am proud of every President of this country to date and will go along with and support whatever decision the people come up with on this referendum. I will view the decision as the voice of the people of this sovereign State.