Norris to continue with Presidential campaign after 'ancient Greeks' furore

David Norris has said he will not "fight dirty" to secure a nomination for the Presidential election, despite what he describes as an attempt to sabotage his campaign.

His pledge came after the re-emergence of comments on sexuality and paedophilia which were attributed to the independent senator in a 2002 Magill magazine article.

“This is an attempt to sabotage my campaign,” he said. “It’s a 10-year-old article - there is nothing new and I want to ask why is this being brought up now?”

Today, Senator Norris said it was difficult to say how damaging the controversy had been to his presidential hopes, but said he would continue his campaign.

"I do not intend to descend to that level. I will not be making any adverse comments or any nasty criticisms of Miss Helen Lucy Burke. That's not my style…I'm going to fight this election on my strengths and not on anybody else's weaknesses.

"I'm not going to fight dirty. It's not in my nature, and I hope the Irish people will understand that," he said.

In the article, Mr Norris is reported as saying: “I cannot understand how anybody could find children of either sex in the slightest bit attractive sexually ... but in terms of classic paedophilia, as practised by the Greeks, for example, where it is an older man introducing a younger man to adult life, there can be something said for it. Now, again, this is not something that appeals to me.

“Although, when I was younger, I would have greatly relished the prospect of an older, attractive, mature man taking me under his wing, lovingly introducing me to sexual realities, treating me with affection, teaching me about life.”

But forced to go on RTE Radio’s 'Today With Pat Kenny' show to defend himself, Mr Norris said he was having an academic discussion over dinner about ancient Greece at the time.

The word paedophilia should never have been in the interview, as he was talking about “paiderastia” – relations between men and boys – of the ancient Greeks as part of a hypothetical, intellectual conversation, he said.

Mr Norris said some of his answers were clipped and truncated in the published article and he has challenged Ms Burke to made public her tape recording of the interview.

“If anybody is in any doubt, I abhor and condemn the abuse of children, sexual, physical or psychological, and my record shows that,” he said.