Mitchell defends Áras campaign after poor showing in polls

FINE GAEL presidential candidate Gay Mitchell has defended his low position in a recent election poll saying he was confident of sweeping up votes outside Dublin.

The MEP also said he wanted to wait and see the results of the new civil partnership legislation before deciding if rights for gay people should be extended further.

Mr Mitchell said he wanted, if elected, to lead an inclusive society and did not rule out passing legalisation on abortion as president if he was upholding the Constitution.

Speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, he defended his campaign after a poll this week gave him just 13% support and put him in third place in the race.

“I wouldn’t go to the bank and take a mortgage out [on these figures],” he said.

Mr Mitchell pointed out that former presidential nominee Adi Roche had polled strongly in the 1997 race but had in the end received just 7% at the ballot boxes.

“People are not engaged with this election. When the real election comes, people will engage and as has happened in every other presidential election, these polls will wax and wane.”

Not surprisingly, he disagreed with comments by broadcaster and potential candidate Gay Byrne that “mad” people were running Ireland from Brussels.

It was wrong to blame people who were trying to help fix the country, he said.

Mr Mitchell also stood over his decision in 2003 to seek clemency for US anti-abortionist Paul Hill who got the death sentence after killing two people at a clinic.

“Do you know what it’s like to watch somebody who’s injected, poisoned to death, gassed to death, hanged to death and in other countries they do it with the bullet behind the head … I’m against it full stop.”

Answering questions from the public on radio, Mr Mitchell said he supported the new civil partnership legislation.

But he wanted to see the results before backing more rights for the gay community, such as rules on adoption or on full marriages.

“Let the hare sit on this, let’s see how this works out, what problems there are with it and let’s be reasonable and open minded about it,” he said. “But I do not want to do anything that will weaken marriage. I support different forms of relationships. People who are single parents, people who are living in relationships and they’re not married.”

Mr Mitchell said several times during the interview that he wanted to help create an inclusive society. He also revealed that, if elected and despite being pro life, he would approve laws on legalising abortion and was carrying out his presidential duties under the Constitution.