CURRENT PRESIDENTIAL favourite Michael D Higgins has identified his opposition to the 2004 citizenship referendum and support for Educate Together schools as reasons why naturalised citizens should vote for him.
Last Friday, Metro Éireann contacted the seven presidential candidates with the following enquiry: ‘What have you done in your personal and professional life to enhance the integration of immigrants and why should they (naturalised Irish citizens) vote for you?’
Between 1995 and April 2009, over 35,000 people were granted citizenship by naturalisation, and are entitled to vote in the presidential election.
Michael D Higgins (Labour), Mary Davis (independent) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) issued responses to Metro Éireann but no statements had been forthcoming by press time from Seán Gallagher (independent), Gay Mitchell (Fine Gael) David Norris (independent) and Dana Rosemary Scallon (independent).
According to Higgins’ statement, he opposed the 2004 citizenship referendum as he “considered the terms of the amendment to be too restrictive and unfair to many children born in Ireland and out of keeping with the spirit of the 1916 declaration which called on us to ‘cherish all the children of the nation equally’.”
He also referenced his long involvement in human rights, and said the presidency has “a very important role in creating an environment where racism and discrimination is rejected and where the potential of each person is fully realised and celebrated.
“The President can use their words and actions to send powerful messages about the kind of Ireland we want to live in.”
A statement from Martin McGuinness noted how in his role as deputy first minister in the Northern Ireland Executive he had been responsible for “racial equality and good relations”.
“This is something I am sincere about delivering across the entire island of Ireland and am committed to continuing nationally, in the presidency,” said McGuinness.
He said the “practical outworking” of his work in the North has seen the delivery of a racial equality strategy to combat all forms of racism.
“We introduced the Race Relations Order which provides protection and makes racial discrimination unlawful in employment; goods, facilities and services; education; and housing management and disposal of premises.
He added that his office also established the Minority Ethnic Development Fund “which supports minority ethnic groups and projects which promote good relations between people from different ethnic backgrounds”.
The fund aims to assist ethnic minority organisations to promote good relations between people of different ethnic backgrounds and the budget has almost doubled since 2007 to £1.1m (€1.257m), he added.
A spokesperson for Mary Davis told Metro Éireann that she has been a supporter of the Immigrant Council of Ireland’s work to combat sex trafficking, including its participation in the ‘Turn Off The Red Light’ campaign to end prostitution and sex trafficking in Ireland.
Davis launched an Africa Centre report on civic participation of Africans in Ireland in 2006, and according to her spokesperson has also been “a very dedicated supporter of Sport Against Racism Ireland”.
So far nationwide polling has identified three frontrunners in the presidential race, namely Michael D Higgins, Sean Gallagher and Martin McGuinness, though our own poll of the immigrant community shows slightly different preferences.
