Concerns over Norris still remain

SENATOR David Norris apparently left Ireland on a prolonged vacation the day after he threw in the towel on his presidential election aspirations in early August because he recognised he did not have the necessary credentials to become President.

When he returned from vacation, seven weeks later, reports emerged (News, Sept 12) indicating his potential return to the fray. But nothing has emerged to alleviate the concerns that prompted his withdrawal.

A nation’s greatness is measured in its capacity to attract and retain the attention of others, according to Jonathan Spence, the eminent former Yale professor.

How could this be accomplished in Ireland if the judgment of the President is prone to attract controversy of a type that other national leaders of strategic importance to our nation would wish to be disassociated from?

It is hard to be convinced that an inclination by Norris to re-enter the contest is based on anything other than a blinkered vanity that disregards other material considerations.

If such ambivalence is the best that Seanad Éireann can contribute to the selection of the next Head of State, is it any wonder that the institution is in the last-gasp saloon having been deemed an obsolete and unnecessary burden destined for closure by the Taoiseach?

Myles Duffy

Glenageary

Co Dublin