President ‘entitled’ to make Castro comments

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has attempted to prevent a damaging row between the Government and Michael D Higgins by saying the head of state has every right to make supportive comments about Fidel Castro.

The Fine Gael leader sought to end the controversy as Mr Higgins and hundreds of Irish citizens signed a book of condolences for the Cuban revolutionary in Dublin at the same time as a senior government minister described Castro as an “unelected dictator”.

Speaking at the Vatican days after Mr Higgins controversially focussed on Cuba’s social progress instead of human rights abuses in his statement on Mr Castro’s death, Mr Kenny said Mr Higgins is “entitled” to make his views clear on the high-profile figure’s legacy.