What really matters in a President

MARTIN McGUINNESS tells us that if he were elected President he would accept remuneration no greater than €35,000 per annum and advises that his legacy as an IRA commander should be conveniently disregarded and even excised from our imagination.

Perhaps he is confusing the concepts of cost and values and the fact that the election is about choosing a head of state, not the head of a cloistered and insular enclave. If the average industrial wage was to become the critical benchmark when choosing a head of state, the electorate would ask candidates for quotations and consider the merits of the lowest bidder. But the qualities required to safeguard Bunreacht na hÉireann and the heritage and aspirations of a proud nation are priceless.

A presidential election is fundamentally about values and, specifically, which candidates are best qualified to safeguard the Constitution and reflect the values, spirit, prestige and dignity of our nation.