Higgins defends travel arrangements at climate summit

President Michael D Higgins has defended his use of the government jet, claiming he would travel by electric car or boat if he had the choice.

Mr Higgins confirmed that he flew business class to New York for a special UN summit on climate change this week, but said he tries to lead by example on climate change actions.

Asked about his trip to the US, Mr Higgins said:

I travelled with the arrangements that were made for me by the Department of Foreign Affairs. I think I travelled in business class.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is also in New York this week for the same summit, but he flew economy class.

Mr Higgins said he always tries to arrange multiple events when abroad on official business and as well as speaking at the UN, he will meet members of the Irish community and spoke in New York University last night. (tues).

He said he would soon be travelling to meet Irish troops serving in the Lebanon, but would also combine that visit with events in Cyprus and Greece.

“My first inquiry was to know could I go by sea, could I, for example, go from Athens to Cyprus, but the ferry wasn’t running at that particular time.

“And equally in the same way I’m totally open, if for example, the Department of Justice, if they decide that they’d like the president to be driven in an electric car, I am very happy to do that, too.”

He said Áras an Uachtaráin is now looking to play its part on climate change, and said a biodiversity study and an energy study are under way.

He added: “To be quite frank with you, I’m not really fulfilling this task as President of Ireland for my personal enjoyment, there are many things I could be doing with my life, but I’m deeply committed to it.”

His New York trip comes as the UN hosts a series of summit meetings on “sustainable development”, reviewing progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals agreed in 2015.

Separately, Mr Higgins defended remarks he recently made on both pay and conditions in the Defence Forces and on the beef crisis.

It had been suggested that he had gone beyond his remit in speaking out, but he said he had been well within the Constitution with the comments.

There has been a widespread concern for a long time in relation to where does the actual profit in relation to beef go.

"My words, if I remember, were about transparency, that everyone would benefit from the transparency,” he said.

Mr Higgins suggested that farm families need to know how their product is priced and who gets what.

He said: “I can just tell you, I really have quite thought of what I’m doing and I’m very, very much within the Constitution.”

Mr Higgins went on to suggest that the public doesn’t want a president who simply recites speeches.

He said: “A very very large number of people in Ireland decided that they wanted this kind of president who wouldn’t interfere with what the agencies of Government are doing, but who would be very conscious and aware of what I call the vulnerability, vulnerably, prospects and hopes of the Irish people.”

As part of his New York visit, Mr Higgins will tonight (wed) deliver Ireland’s national statement to the UN General Assembly. On Friday morning, he will address a summit reviewing international support for Small Island Developing States.