Kerry councillor calls for tighter screening of presidential hopefuls after time wasting and online abuse
The KerrymanA Kerry councillor has urged for tighter screening of presidential candidates after the council put up with what he terms “a lot of nonsense” in the nomination process.
Addressing the October monthly meeting of Kerry County Council, Councillor Jackie Healy-Rae asked that prospective candidates should in future be nominated by at least one councillor before they are allowed to make their pitch before the full council.
Cllr Healy-Rae said: “For everyone’s sake, the council and the councillors. I think it puts the onus of responsibility on those who are seeking to come before the council that they actually do a bit of ground work and are known to people.”
He said introducing a new rule that requires potential candidates to be nominated by one councillor was “not a high bar”.
The current rules require presidential hopefuls to be an Irish citizen, be over 35-years-old and to send an email to council requesting a hearing.
In September, Kerry County Council heard 14 pitches, each 15 minutes long, and after deliberation gave their backing to Irish entrepreneur Gareth Sheridan.
Cllr Healy-Rae said the number of potential candidates that were due to have a hearing at the council in September, rose from 10 to 20 in a very short space of time.
He said he felt the process was “rushed” and at the presidential meeting some prospective candidates didn’t show up, leaving the councillors waiting, not knowing if they would arrive.
While Cllr Healy-Rae said he did not want to disparage those that did make their pitch, highlighting that it took courage to come before the full council, he said the threshold was too low.
If the rules had applied in September, he said, there would have likely been a least four or five pitches, and contrary to the argument that it might be less democratic, it would allow the councillors more time to scrutinise each person.
Councillor Charlie Farrelly raised a similar motion but said he wanted to “go a step further”.
He said candidates should be nominated by one councillor and seconded by another, referencing other councils who require either two councillor nominations, or even four in some cases.
“Future councils shouldn’t have to go through what we went through,” he said.
“I’m especially try to get at people who put their name forward and didn’t even bother to turn up, wasted everyone’s time and then turned round and abused them online.”
The council said they would review the process and bring forward a proposed amendment to the standing orders covering the procedure.