Good morning.
Catherine Connolly is not waking up in Áras an Uachtaráin this morning – painting and general touching up is needed, but not because Michael D had a party before he left, the Áras says – but she is waking up as the tenth President of Ireland, a post she will hold for the next seven years, at least.
It was a day for pomp and circumstance at Dublin Castle, where the entire political establishment gathered to mark the occasion of the 15th presidential inauguration since 1938.
The new President carried off the day with confidence and panache. Her inaugural address was closely watched for clues as to how she would manage the two competing imperatives that she had freely acknowledged during the campaign – respecting the confines of the office, and speaking out about political matters when she felt the need.
The clues about her approach were not hard to find: four paragraphs in, she declared: “The people have spoken and have given their President a powerful mandate to articulate their vision for a new Republic. A Republic worthy of its name where everyone is valued and diversity is cherished, where sustainable solutions are urgently implemented and where a home is a fundamental human right.”
It was a speech that did not step back an inch from her campaigning platform and while she stressed at its conclusion that the presidency would be a “unifying force”, she promised “a steady hand, yes, but also a catalyst for change reflecting our desire for a Republic that lives up to its name”.
The clear implication being that the Republic to whose highest office she has just been elevated does not – yet, anyway – live up to that name.
She spoke about the importance of neutrality and her desire to see Ireland lead “diplomatic solutions” as an alternative to war. She lamented the shortcomings of public services, and repeated her pledge to make Irish a working language in the Áras. She expressed a desire to visit “the North” – not, mark you, “Northern Ireland”, as unionists prefer to describe it – and stressed the desire of the “Irish nation” for a united Ireland.
The message was not so much: “let us all come together now”; it was: “we won.”
Those anticipating conflict between the new President and the Government, and an activist, outspoken presidency from Ms Connolly had their expectations heightened.
Ellen Coyne’s report is here.
Miriam Lord’s take, leading our front page this morning, is here.
Harry McGee dissects the speech.
And if you want to relive the day blow-by-blow, our live blog is here.
Hostilities resume in the Dáil
After a day off for the presidential festivities, the Dáil returns this afternoon to resume hostilities. The Cabinet meets at Government Buildings this morning, and Cormac McQuinn reports that it is likely to approve the long-awaited housing plan.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities will aim to deliver some 90,000 ‘starter homes’ over the next five years. Overall, the Government has pledged the delivery of more than 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030.
The new plan, to be brought to Cabinet by Minister for Housing James Browne today and published on Thursday, will outline how it intends to meet this commitment. But the Government knows that it won’t be judged on targets and plans – it will be judged on results. And the results so far have been underwhelming, to say the least.
Cormac’s report is here.
Housing is also on the mind of Fianna Fáil TDs who meet for what could be another spiky parliamentary party meeting this evening at Leinster House. Amazingly, the review into the disastrous presidential election has been delayed, though the issue is likely to be discussed this evening against a background of barely disguised impatience and annoyance – and more in the case of some TDs – with the party leader. Other TDs say they are more worried about housing than they are about Jim Gavin – but they want to see radical action, and fast.
Still, there was some support for the beleaguered Fianna Fáil leader when European commissioner Michael McGrath came to his aid in Brussels yesterday.
Here’s our new Early Edition podcast, a ten-minute guide to our main stories this morning.
Best reads
Two views on a united Ireland this morning. One from Dick Spring
And the other from Ben Collins
Meanwhile, Michael McDowell wonders how many Irish people could handle an automatic weapon
Eileen Culloty on a problem in the Irish media
Playbook
Cabinet meets this morning as mentioned above, and the Dáil begins at 2pm with Leaders’ Questions, followed by the Order of Business and a packed schedule that doesn’t end until after midnight.
The Defamation Bill is in the Seanad, while it’s a packed day at the committees, where the highlight is probably the environment committee’s hearing on the lessons from Storm Eowyn.
The full Oireachtas schedule is here.
The new President’s first day will see her visiting a school – a Gaelscoil of course – in Dublin before heading back to Galway to visit a care centre, via a family resource centre in Meath.
