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Lise Hand: Standing ovation for President Higgins after UNESCO speech

NEWS 19/02/13 Official Visit to Paris by The President of Ireland and Sabina Higgins. Pictured at the UNESCO HQ in Paris are Irina Bokova, Director General, UNESCO and President Higgins. Picture by Shane O'Neill / Fennells. No fee for repro
Irina Bokova, Director General, UNESCO and President Higgins.

19 February 2013

PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins received a rapturous reception for his speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris earlier today.

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His 35-minute address - which ran for ten minutes longer than scheduled - went down a storm with the delegates from the 195 member states of the organisation, and was met with cheering and a prolonged standing ovation.

It was the first engagement of day two of the President's official visit to France, and Michael D spoke on a theme close to his heart - the recognition of the power and importance of culture in global society.

Towards the end of his address, he spoke about the urgent need for dialogue between different belief systems.

"A dialogue between what is called the Western world and moderate Islam. If we are threatened by the extremes of any distorted faith system, it is often because we have not had the conversation we need with those who see the truth, the beauty, the belief that is at the heart of some of these beliefs. The western world has neglected its conversation with modern Islam," he said.

After the speech, the president was approached by the Saudi Arabian ambassador who was so taken with his words that he wanted to put up the cost of having the entire address translated into the remaining five languages not covered by the UNESCO translations - but in fact the whole speech would have to be translated into all the relevant languages anyway, as true to form, Michael D strayed far from the official script.

And UNESCO Director, Dr Jennifer Pearson was little short of starry-eyed. "I have never seen a reaction like the reaction. Normally when a president comes to speak, we listen with attention, but today people listened with passion, and almost as one they all got up and gave him a standing ovation," she explained.

Michael D - big in Paris...

Donal Walsh during his appearance on RTE's Saturday Night SHow with Brendan O'Connoe. Picture courtesy RTE

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Donal Walsh during his appearance on RTE's Saturday Night SHow with Brendan O'Connoe. Picture courtesy RTE

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Donal Walsh during his appearance on RTE's Saturday Night SHow with Brendan O'Connoe. Picture courtesy RTE

Brendan O'Connor: He took what life he had and made it matter

When I heard Donal Walsh had died, I couldn't help thinking of Spike Milligan's line: I told you I was sick. For those of us who didn't know Donal, who didn't live with his illness and see its progress, there was a strange sense of surprise that he had really died, that his young life was actually snuffed out in the end. Obviously everyone knew Donal was dying. His imminent death was central to the life-affirming message he brought to the nation. But somehow, when the inevitable came, it was a shock. I suppose this young man, whom none of us really knew but we all felt we knew, didn't seem like the type to die.

Colm McCarthy: Retirement age must rise by eight or 10 years

Since 2008, economic policy in Ireland has been understandably focused upon the deflation of the bank credit bubble and its budgetary consequences. But Ireland faces serious economic policy problems which pre-date the financial crisis. Two reports released in recent weeks highlight one of the most serious – the unsustainable current system of retirement income provision. State pension schemes are unfunded (the social insurance 'fund' is just a book entry in the State accounts) and reliant entirely on the health of future tax revenues. If these fail to grow strongly, the State will struggle to meet pension commitments to its own employees and to the wider public who are covered by the contributory and non-contributory old-age pension schemes.

Paul Moran: Labour still between rock and a hard place

Our latest opinion poll, conducted earlier this month, shows little change in terms of party support, with most of them tipping along at more or less the same position as last month. Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael have slipped back (an insignificant) one point, with Sinn Fein the apparent beneficiary. It is as you were for both Labour and the independents. There has been some stabilisation of the Labour vote over the past couple of months, stalling the steady decline that we witnessed earlier in the year.

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