Latest news with #DeirdreHeenan
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Opinionated and outspoken, Deirdre Heenan an intriguing candidate in Irish presidential race
'Ferociously intelligent and ferociously ambitious' academic being touted as a potential runner down south Four weeks ago, I was on a panel at a political event in a Belfast bar. Beside me was Professor Deirdre Heenan, who skilfully laughed off the suggestion she might be a candidate for the Irish presidency.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Sam McBride: Potential president Deirdre Heenan is slicker but spikier than Mary McAleese
Four weeks ago, I was on a panel at a political event in a Belfast bar. Beside me was Professor Deirdre Heenan, who skilfully laughed off the suggestion she might be a candidate for the Irish presidency.
Irish Times
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Micheál Martin ‘definietly not' running for presidency, he says
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said he is 'definitely not' going to run as a candidate for presidency. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Martin said Fianna Fáil will consider a candidate in the coming weeks after taking 'soundings' from people within the parliamentary party. When asked if he had spoken with Deirdre Heenan, a Derry-based Ulster University professor who has been mentioned in some circles to be the party's candidate, Mr Martin said he had not. 'A lot of names have been floated in association with Fianna Fáil. I'm not responsible for the flotation of any of those names, just to make that very clear. I was elected, you know, I went to the people to say I wanted to serve Cork South Central and I wanted to lead Fianna Fáil into government. 'I made that obligation to the public and that's the context. No disrespect to the presidency or anything, but I gave commitments to the people that I would serve in Dáil Éireann for the next five years and that is what I'm going to do.' At the weekend former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin, who has expressed an interest in running herself, said it would be 'an insult' to the office of the presidency if her party does not run a candidate . The first declared candidates – former European Commissioner and Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness and Independent TD Catherine Connolly – emerged last week in the battle to succeed President Michael D Higgins. Independent Ireland is open to talking to former chief medical officer (CMO) Tony Holohan and Irish dancing star Michael Flatley , should they seek nominations from Oireachtas members to enter the race, party leader Michael Collins has said.
BreakingNews.ie
23-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Taoiseach Micheál Martin says he will 'definitely not' run for presidency
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has emphatically said that he is 'definitely not' going to run as a candidate for the presidency. Speaking on RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland, Mr Martin said that Fianna Fáil will consider a candidate in the coming weeks after taking 'soundings' from people within the parliamentary party. Advertisement When asked if he had spoken with Deirdre Heenan, Mr Martin said he had not. 'A lot of names have been floated in association with Fianna Fáil. I'm not responsible for the flotation of any of those names, just to make that very clear. I was elected, you know, I went to the people to say I wanted to serve Cork South Central and I wanted to lead Fianna Fáil into government. "I made that obligation to the public, and that's the context. No disrespect to the presidency or anything, but I gave commitments to the people that I would serve in Dáil Éireann for the next five years, and that is what I'm going to do." The Taoiseach also spoke about the National Development Plan, outlining the various funding sources, including projected surpluses, receipts from Apple, and funds from the Climate and Nature Fund. Advertisement "We are projecting surpluses out over the next number of years. There is the additionality of €20 billion from, as you know, the receipts from Apple, about €14 billion, all of them, will go towards the NDP, about €3 billion in terms of the AIB shares sales and a further close to €3 billion from the Climate and Nature Fund," he said. Mr Martin also emphasised the importance of infrastructure investment for job creation and economic growth, noting that the government will consider various scenarios, including IMF forecasts. 'Investment in infrastructure is important and critical for the future of jobs in this country. And we will look at all scenarios. Even the IMF is predicting, by the way, that we, in and around, and suggesting that we this capacity over the next five years in its forecast in terms of total expenditure spent by the Irish government in its analysis. 'Transport alone is receiving very substantial billions, well over €22 billion plus. So public transport will be a key feature of that. The bigger issue, which will be more private sector-driven, will be offshore wind and the development of renewables in our country. I think that's the big ticket item in respect of emissions reductions and switching from a dependence on imported fossil fuels to our own generated renewables. Advertisement "There is no way you would get to 300,000 if you don't have the private Sector contributing a significant number of houses in addition to those that will be provided as a result of the national development plan." Mr Martin added that by 2030, there will be substantially more houses built, 'there'll be far more schools built. I mean, in the last NDP, 800 schools were built. Okay, people give this impression that very little was done with the last NDP, a hell of a lot was done through the last NDP. A whole lot of hospitals were built. 'Active travel, as I said, broadband, for example, has made great strides in terms of that capital plan and the last NDP didn't. Technological University of Grangegorman was also about it; 170 kilometres of road were built, so a lot got done. So a lot of those projects, more and more of those will get done in the next time. 'Take Iarnród Éireann did extraordinarily good work under the last National Development Plan. The transformation of Kent Station, for example, is a good example of that. A lot of the universities, there will be good research projects invested and completed across the university sector," the Taoiseach said. Advertisement "I think this development plan, for example, if you add it all up, and the Minister will give greater detail over the next number of weeks, will be a very significant one for research for universities. And that will add to the competitiveness of our economy, and that's important.'
Extra.ie
22-07-2025
- Health
- Extra.ie
Who is Deirdre Heenan? The professor tipped for FF Áras bid
The race for who will be Fianna Fáil's presidential candidate remains open but party members believe that Derry-based academic Deirdre Heenan is ticking a lot of the right boxes. It is reported that Deirdre is An Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micháel Martin's preferred choice of candidate due to her political likeness to Mary McAleese. has taken an in-depth look at the Ulster University professor and the background that has led her to potentially run for Áras an Uachtaráin. Deirdre Heenan with President Michael D Higgins in 2018. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland Born in Annaclone, Co Down, Deirdre was educated at Banbridge Academy and Ulster University. Now, she lives in Derry with her husband and three sons. Deirdre is a former Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Ulster University and a former Provost of its Coleraine and Magee campuses. She is a member of the Institute for Research in Social Sciences and has published widely on healthcare, education policy, social care and devolution. In 2001, Deirdre was the recipient of a Distinguished Teaching Award and this was followed by a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy in 2006. Professor Deirdre Heenan with former US president Bill Clinton At the University of Ulster in 2010. Pic: Paul Faith –Two years later, she secured an ESRC fellowship and spent nine months as policy adviser in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. In 2011, she was appointed by the health minister to join a five strong panel of experts to oversee a radical review of Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland and the following year, she was appointed to the Council of State by President Michael D Higgins. Professor Deirdre Heehan posing for a selfie with former British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during a visit to Lifford Bridge in 2018. Pic: Liam McBurney – Pool/Getty Images Deirdre is described by Ulster University as a 'distinguished researcher, author and broadcaster'. Many Fianna Fáil sources told that they first came across the 58-year-old when she spoke at a party event in UCD to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. They said: 'I wasn't surprised to hear her name as she ticks a lot of Mary McAleese boxes. She was very impressive when she spoke at the Good Friday event and would fit the mould of what Micheál (Martin) would want. 'She was very impressive, and really challenging about the Good Friday Agreement. She spoke about how too many people sit back and applaud the GFA, when, in her view, it is not yet complete, and that we can't afford to rest on our laurels.'
