Electing a president - We need far more than symbolism

IN a little more than six months we will elect the ninth President of Ireland.

This will be an opportunity to give expression to the ideals we would like to see celebrated in a way that is not always easy in a Dáil election.

Mary Robinson, elected in 1990, had an impact far beyond anything she might have achieved in nearly any other elected role. She reached out to groups who felt forgotten in a society beginning to emerge from decades of economic deprivation. By offering the oxygen of publicity to so many causes, Ms Robinson built a confidence and determination amongst advocacy groups that ultimately led to change, and changed expectations too, in our country.