Politics watch: O'Neill, Eastwood linked with presidential bids

James Cox

Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.

O'Neill declines to rule out Áras bid, Eastwood hints at run

Nothern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill is the latest name to be heavily linked with a presidential bid.

At a press conference in Co Armagh on Friday, Ms O'Neill was asked about the possibility of her running in the election, which must take place by November 11th.

She replied: "I think I’ve plenty to do, being First Minister. But I would think the fact remains that I could stand for election, I could be elected as Uachtarán na hÉireann, but I can’t vote in that election, so that’s where there’s a deficit and what we need to see is presidential voting rights extended to the North so the Irish citizens in the North can vote.”

Former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was also linked with a presidential bid on Friday. He told the BBC that people had asked him to consider a presidential bid.

“I’m going to take the time to think about it."

Mr Eastwood was previously involved in talks with Fianna Fáil about closer links between the party and the SDLP, and he could be backed if he decides to run as Fianna Fáil have not yet come to a decision on a candidate.

With the end of President Michael D Higgins' second term fast approaching, Fine Gael have not announced a candidate either.

There had been speculation the party could sit the presidential election out, or back a candidate in conjunction with Coalition partners Fianna Fáil.

However, Tánaiste Simon Harris has previously said his party will name its own candidate.

In an interview with The Journal in March, the Fine Gael leader said: "“I haven’t had any discussions with any other party, but I expect we will run a candidate in our own right. That’s my that’s my working assumption."

Former tánaiste France Fitzgerald had been the favourite to be Fine Gael's candidate, but she confirmed she would not run in April.

Taoiseach criticises ‘excessive’ measures faced by students seeking US visas

The Taoiseach has described a decision to subject students applying for J1 visas to a “comprehensive and thorough vetting” of their social media as “excessive”.

Micheál Martin said he does not agree nor approve of the measures announced by the US embassy on Monday.

Ireland’s national students’ union said the new measures represent a significant and disproportionate intrusion into personal lives and digital privacy, and that they raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and online surveillance.

The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.

Leo Varadkar says Keir Starmer should not 'try to censor' Kneecap

Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said politicians should not try to censor artists after UK prime minister Keir Starmer said Kneecap's Glastonbury inclusion was "inappropriate".

The Belfast rap trio are scheduled to perform on Saturday at 4pm.

Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday charged, under UK anti-terrorism legislation, with showing support for a proscribed organisation.

The performer, known as Mo Chara, allegedly draped himself in a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November and shouted “up Hamas, up Hezbollah”, referring to the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups respectively.

In an interview with The Sun, Mr Starmer was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: “No, I don’t, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.

“This is about the threats that shouldn’t be made, I won’t say too much because there’s a court case on, but I don’t think that’s appropriate.”

In a social media post, Mr Varadkar said he initially believed Mr Starmer's comments were "a gag".

“[I] no longer hold office nor have any mandate so my views don’t count for so much anymore. I get that. But I really thought this was some sort of gag. It’s the role of artists to be avant garde, inappropriate, challenging, disruptive - from James Joyce to Sex Pistols and Playboy.

“Politicians really should not try to censor this. If an offence was committed, let the courts decide. In the meantime, the rule of law says the accused is innocent until proven guilty.”

Anti-immigrant activists tried to 'weaponise' Carlow shooting incident with misinformation

Misinformation around a recent shooting incident at a Carlow shopping centre was "weaponised" by anti-immigrant activists and facilitated by social media algorithms, according to a researcher who monitors far-right activity in Ireland.

In an interview with , H&CC research and communications lead Mark Malone said: "Claims from the likes of Derek Blighe, from Gavin Lowbridge (who runs the OffGrid Ireland account on Twitter spaces), they were framing the incident as a terrorist shooting related to their own anti-immigrant politics. This was all within a time period that allowed for no verification, and subsequently what transpired was most of it was utter nonsense."

Mr Malone also mentioned anti-immigrant activist Philp Dwyer, who drove to the scene in Carlow to film.

"It was telling that Philip Dwyer was travelling back from an anti-migrant demonstration in Clonmel, heard there was something happening and landed up in Carlow, he describes himself as a 'citizen journalist'."

Abroad

All eyes are on the US, after president Donald Trump sanctioned strikes on Iran in support of Israel.

Mr Trump has called into question the future of Iran’s ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration’s earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting.

“It’s not politically correct to use the term, ‘Regime Change,’ but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change???” Mr Trump posted on social media. “MIGA!!!”

The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth’s Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country’s nuclear sites.

“This mission was not and has not been about regime change,” Mr Hegseth said.