Farewell Michael D, the role of president will never be the same

MICHAEL D Higgins finished his term as president yesterday after a remarkable 14 years in office.

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He was very much loved by the majority of people and did the State some service.

There is a lot being made that Michael D spoke his mind and pushed the constitutional boundaries of his office - but that is what ordinary people liked about him.

He spoke out on their behalf and if he breached the constitution - so what.

We need to review the current powers of the president and to give the office holder more power and the right to speak out against the Government, especially when they are bang out of order.

The political parties, the academics and constitutionalists might not like it but the vast majority of the people would, I believe, support it.

We need a modern constitution where the head of State has the right to give the Government a slap when it deserves it.

For far too long in this country, successive Governments have got away with incompetence and negligence.