President Michael D Higgins said Ireland must be done with the “prophets of doom” and act on a “promising moment” to guarantee housing, healthcare, equality and income.
The President gave an impassioned interview to Ryan Tubridy in the expansive back garden of Áras an Uachtaráin for RTÉ’s Late Late Show on Friday.
He addressed the state of the nation and how things must change as the country rebuilds after the pandemic.
He said: “There seems to be a great promising moment that says we’re going to do health differently, we’re going to do housing differently, we’re going to do the issue of childcare differently.
While the president said he wished those reconstructing the banking system well during the pandemic, he felt there was a “big gap” between economic experts and “the people”.
He added: “We need citizens who can debate the economy, we need an economic literacy that will empower people.
“Then I’m certain, given what they’ve been doing in this crisis, they will have a better version of the economy, society and equality.
“It’s terrible to say there’s a lesser form of housing for some sections of our population, that has to end.
“We must say to ourselves, once a week, we are supposed to be in a republic and we need to think in an all island way…”
The president said while he and wife Sabina have grounds to walk on, it wasn’t acceptable that some had to live in unsuitable housing.
He said there was a “message” for housing authorities about a lack of suitable housing.
“One thing, you know that’s going to come out of this, I hope, is that there’s an opportunity to make a deep reflection and it isn’t about blame or anything, it’s about reminding oneself about that which hadn’t been given sufficient attention.”
The status of work as more than a means to “survive” had to also be considered and that it should be there to allow people to “flourish,” he added.
“We have to really think about care. Is it not the case that care work, for example, wasn’t given the same status as other work.
“It certainly wasn’t enumerated enough.... My own view is there’s a very clear State responsibility.
“The very last thing we need are prophets of doom. People who are trapped in notions of saying you must have guaranteed how you’re paying every penny back before you save for your life.
“This is very different to 2008, that’s why we need new radical thinking and it’s there and I hope there’s a generous tolerant debate, be the arrow not the target.”
