Another hat in the ring: Interview with Mary Davis, Presidential Candidate.

There’s a piece in the Mail today by Jason O’Toole where Mary Davis expands upon her bid for the Presidency. Davis is a campaigner in the area of disability issues, indeed has devoted four decades to that and was one of those instrumental… well, as the interview notes:

Which leads us straight to the heart of the matter. Apart from her renown for almost singlehandedly bringing the Special Olympics Summer Games to Ireland back in 2003 — the first time it was staged outside the U.S. — there is very little known about the 56-year-old. And so, understandably, more than a few eyebrows were raised when Mary first put her name forward for the presidency, with seemingly few qualifications.

So what has she done?

After studying physical education in Leeds and Canada, Mary took a teaching post at special-needs school St Michael’s in Ballymun. ‘It was something that I went into with my eyes closed, but I went there and never really looked back,’ she says.

So what of her views?

‘I’m a Christian with values. I enjoy going into a church, spending some time there. I would go to a Roman Catholic church. I would go to a Church of Ireland church, too, because Julian is Church of Ireland.’

She’s climbed Everest and jumped out of a plane with a parachute, but…

Joking aside, why does she want to be president?
‘I understand the pain people are going through at this particular time. I think people are looking for a president who can inspire and motivate and show leadership and make people believe in themselves — in the same way that I believed we could organise the Games even though people didn’t think that it was possible.
‘Also, we have to look at repairing our reputation abroad. I think that process has started with the activities of the last couple of weeks in Ireland but it still needs a lot of work. And I would work very hard to do that.’

Which is either suitably [for a Presidential election] or infuriatingly vague depending on one’s perspective. As is the following:

Questions over Mary’s knowledge of the Constitution were raised when she appeared on RTÉ’s The Frontline last Monday and wrongly stated that as president she would consider blocking a tough budget by refusing to sign it into law.

But should she have known better?

It’s a somewhat ironic charge considering that Mary, as a member of the Council of State, is one of President McAleese’s advisers on such matters.

Her explanation is that:

Defending this faux pas, Mary claims that she didn’t have enough time on air to go in-depth into the question.
‘I am fully aware and accept that such a power does not exist in relation to a Finance Bill. When asked about fairness in making a decision to sign a Bill or not, my thoughts went immediately to the Constitution. If I had a concern that a piece of legislation was unfair, or there was a doubt as to its constitutionality then, after consulting with the Council of State, I would consider referring it to the Supreme Court.’

There’s an interesting insight into the process here:

Certainly, she doesn’t dismiss the rumours that she only entered the fray after commissioning secret polls that showed her performing well in a presidential election. ‘I took loads of soundings from various groups and people just to see. Obviously, you’re not going to put yourself out there without feeling you have some support. I am very determined to give it my very best shot.’

And what, again, of those views?

Mary doesn’t subscribe to Senator David Norris’s controversial views that all drugs and prostitution should be legalised. ‘Prostitution exploits women and drives trafficking. I would also be opposed to the legalisation of drugs. I have seen first-hand the damage drugs do to families and communities.’
However, she does have some liberal views. She is in favour of same-sex marriages and leans towards being anti-abortion but pro-choice. ‘I’m not in agreement with abortion, but is it a black-and-white situation? I have two girls myself. If they were violently raped, what would their feelings be? I don’t know because you don’t know until you’re put in that sort of situation.

If there’s a societal consensus she’s not far outside it I suspect.