President Michael D Higgins has apologised to the chairperson of the Government’s Forum on International Policy for a “throwaway remark”.
During an interview with the Business Post newspaper, President Higgins expressed reservations about the Government’s Consultative Forum on International Security Policy, which will start in Cork later this week.
Referencing the forum’s chairperson Louise Richardson, Mr Higgins said she was a “person with a very large DBE – Dame of the British Empire”.
Professor Richardson, who is originally from Waterford, received a damehood in 2022 for attracting more undergraduates from disadvantaged backgrounds to the University of Oxford and University of St Andrews and for her work on the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVD-19 vaccine.
In a statement, President Higgins apologised for the remarks which “may have inadvertently” caused offence.
A spokesman said: “We are happy to clarify that the President made the comment to which you refer, over the course of a long interview, while he was looking at a copy of the programme for the Forum and was referring casually to the fact that almost every reference to Professor Richardson in the programme was in a bold typeface, with however, DBE in capital letters after her name.
“Indeed, the President’s exact words were ‘a very large letter DBE’.
“The President intended no offence by such a casual remark. He apologises for any offence which he may have inadvertently caused to Professor Richardson by what was a throwaway remark.
“As a political scientist and sociologist the President is familiar with Professor Richardson’s work.
“He has too, with others, an appreciation for the initiatives for which Professor Richardson was awarded her DBE, in attracting more undergraduates from non-traditional or deprived backgrounds to Oxford University.”
In the same interview published on Sunday, Mr Higgins mentioned Professor Richardson several times,
He is quoted as saying: “I think it’s grand, but, you know, I think that there were a few candidates I could have come up with myself.”
The comments about Prof Richardson caused anger in some political circles, with former Justice Minister and the Chairperson of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee Charlie Flanagan branding them “unnecessary, unfair and disappointing”.
“As well as being [the] first woman head of Oxford University Louise is a most distinguished Irish woman with a long academic interest in Security,” he added.
Independent TD and former Army Ranger Cathal Berry called for President Higgins to apologise.
The Irish Mirror contacted Prof Richardson’s office for a comment about President Higgins’ remarks. The query was referred to the Department of Foreign Affairs who said that she was not available.
The President also criticised the lineup of the Consultative Forum, saying that it included “the admirals, the generals, the air force, the rest of it" as well as "the formerly neutral countries who are now joining NATO."
He expressed concerns that Ireland is “drifting” towards NATO and warned that Ireland was “playing with fire” and must avoid “burying ourselves in other people’s agendas”.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin released a lengthy statement on Sunday following the interview’s publication.
He said that “every country in Europe has examined and re-examined its foreign, security and defence policies” and “to shy away from doing so – or to do so behind closed doors – would have been a fundamental mistake and an abrogation of responsibility”.
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