To: Simon Harris, Micheal Martin, Mary-Lou McDonald, Mary Robinson, Michael D.Higgins, Dublin County Council
Protect our Dail and our Presidency from applicants with criminal records
A chairde,
As it stands the rules regarding who is eligible for nomination for candicacy for a Dáil Eireann position or indeed, for running for the office of president of Ireland, are too tolerant of applicants with criminal backgrounds. Currently, only the position of serving six months in jail at the time of nomination, would forfeit a citizens candicacy opportunity. In light of the recent takeover of power in the U.S. by a president with a criminal record and the recent seeking of a nomination in Ireland by a well-known Irish MMA fighter with a criminal record, the rules should be changed and strengthened. It is not sufficent protection to the respected roles of these great offices to allow persons with records of criminal offences to gain power in this manner. I propose that it should be a minimum requirement, enshrined in law, that all T.D. and Presidential hopefuls in Ireland be completly free of criminal records and subject to a background check upon entry. I call on our government now and our county councils to enact legislation to change this vulnerability in our system before the next elections.
As it stands the rules regarding who is eligible for nomination for candicacy for a Dáil Eireann position or indeed, for running for the office of president of Ireland, are too tolerant of applicants with criminal backgrounds. Currently, only the position of serving six months in jail at the time of nomination, would forfeit a citizens candicacy opportunity. In light of the recent takeover of power in the U.S. by a president with a criminal record and the recent seeking of a nomination in Ireland by a well-known Irish MMA fighter with a criminal record, the rules should be changed and strengthened. It is not sufficent protection to the respected roles of these great offices to allow persons with records of criminal offences to gain power in this manner. I propose that it should be a minimum requirement, enshrined in law, that all T.D. and Presidential hopefuls in Ireland be completly free of criminal records and subject to a background check upon entry. I call on our government now and our county councils to enact legislation to change this vulnerability in our system before the next elections.
Why is this important?
It is important to raise awareness of this issue as currently our application process for candidacy for the Dail and the office of President is wide open and vulnerable to persons of criminal history. This has proven to be a social and political disaster in the U.S. We must be better, we must take action to disallow it here.