Five-year presidency and Áras spending transparency on Varadkar’s reform list

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has backed plans to cut presidential terms to just five years and to draft new spending transparency laws in the wake of the Áras 2018 election showdown.

Five-year presidency and Áras spending transparency on Varadkar’s reform list

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has backed plans to cut presidential terms to just five years and to draft new spending transparency laws in the wake of the Áras 2018 election showdown.

Mr Varadkar confirmed he is in favour of the shake-up after silence from Áras an Uachtaráin over when financial accounts for the last seven years will be published.

Speaking after Michael D Higgins’ historic victory — and as speculation mounted that Peter Casey may run as an Independent TD or MEP after Fianna Fáil insisted he will not join the party — Mr Varadkar said the presidency may need reform.

While championing Mr Higgins’ re-election as a “resounding endorsement from all sections of society”, Mr Varadkar confirmed changes are being planned.

“I have to say my personal view is a five-year term would be more in line with modern norms than a seven-year term. That would require a referendum,” he said when asked about cutting the seven-year term.

Despite the call for greater financial transparency, the Áras was last night silent on when it will release the exact breakdown of how the €317,000 special annual presidential fund has been spent during Mr Higgins’ first term.

The President is this morning back at Áras an Uachtaráin after his landslide victory.

After months of bruising debate, Mr Higgins won easily on the first count after receiving 56% support — or 822,566 votes.

While the turnout was the lowest in the history of the State at 43.87% — or 1,492,388 people — Mr Higgins won by a landslide in each of the 40 constituencies nationally and across all age groups.

Outlining what his next term will involve in an acceptance speech seen as a thinly-veiled criticism of candidate Peter Casey’s divisive comments on the Travelling community, Mr Higgins said: “Words matter. Words can hurt. Words can heal. Words can empower. Words can divide... A real Republic is where every person and community is treated with respect.”

Mr Casey was embroiled in new controversy yesterday after telling a Sunday newspaper he wants to join Fianna Fáil.

The party’s communications spokesman, Timmy Dooley tweeted “ah we’re ok thanks”, while foreign affairs spokesman Niall Collins said: “Peter would want to realise you can’t just rock up to political parties and get your way. There is no place for blanket prejudice in Fianna Fáil.”

A senior party spokesperson later definitively ruled the move out, saying “we will not be facilitating any personal crusade of his”.

As speculation persists that Mr Casey may run as an Independent TD or MEP, he declined to comment to the Irish Examiner.

The remaining four candidates — Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riada, senator Joan Freeman, and Dragons Gavin Duffy and Seán Gallagher — are facing a combined bill of €800,000 after failing to reach the 12.5% threshold to reclaim their campaign costs.

Mr Gallagher did not rule out running again in 2025, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald denied it was a mistake to run a candidate, and Mr Duffy said he has “no regrets” about contesting.

A crestfallen Ms Freeman, who said the campaign had “scrutinised and brutalised” candidates, simply said: “No, I don’t think so.”

Meanwhile, Mr Varadkar has ruled out calling a snap general election in November despite the latest polls claiming Fine Gael has a 13-point lead on Fianna Fáil.

Mr Varadkar denied the potential move is being planned on Saturday night as both parties confirmed confidence and supply talks will continue on Thursday.

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