Taoiseach says ‘time to move on’ from Sabina Higgins controversy, defending right to free speech

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has played down the controversy over comments by Sabina Higgins, wife of President Michael D Higgins, about the war in Ukraine, saying she had clarified her views on Russia’s invasion of its neighbour and it was “time to move on”.

“I think Sabina Higgins has clarified the situation in terms of her statement — the President himself issued a statement through his spokesperson and gave his long-standing articulation of his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” said Mr Martin.

Speaking in Carrigtwohill in Co Cork, Mr Martin was pressed by the media about Ms Higgins’s comments in a letter to The Irish Times that fighting between Russia and Ukraine would continue until the leaders of the countries were persuaded to agree a ceasefire and enter negotiations.

Ms Higgins issued a statement on Tuesday in which she said she was “dismayed” that people had been critical of her call for a ceasefire while she also defended the posting of the letter on the official website of the presidency, saying it appeared only on her own dedicated section of the website.

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On Wednesday, Mr Martin appeared to play down any suggestion that Ms Higgins’s position was at odds with the Government’s position.

He said everyone was “agreed on the need for peace; there is no argument there”, adding Ireland’s position was at one with the EU position, which was that Russia should withdraw immediately.

“The Irish Government’s position has been consistent from the outset and it remains the position that the invasion was both illegal and immoral… the Government’s view is that Russia has to stop the violence and stop the war and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine,” he said.

Asked about the fact that Ms Higgins’s letter appeared on the Áras website and whether lessons might be learned from the controversy, which has received international coverage, Mr Martin again moved to defuse any suggestion of conflict between the Government and the presidency.

“I think the explanation [for Ms Higgins’s letter appearing on the Áras website] is that it is not the first time... That has been happening for quite some time. I think we need to understand that an informal practice has built up over the years,” he said, adding that “we live in a democracy, and we are conscious of that, and people are entitled to their viewpoints.”

The Taoiseach added: “What is clear is that the Government position has not changed, nor do I believe that, in terms of the Ukrainian Government or people generally, I think they are well aware of our position as articulated on a consistent basis at the UN Security Council.”

Asked if he has spoken to the President about Ms Higgins’s letter, he said that he had not spoken to him about “this specific controversy” but he does have regular meetings with Mr Higgins under Article 28 of the Constitution and did have a meeting with him before the controversy.

“We did have a meeting prior to this — just before we were going to head on a break — but there you are. August is becoming quite challenging from year to year,” said Mr Martin, breaking into a smile when asked if he planned to raise the issue at their next meeting.

“I think we need to have a sense of perspective. There has been a lot of debate — that is important — we live in a democracy, and it is good that we have people’s viewpoints articulated… from all involved, my view is that it is time to move on from it now.”

Among those to criticise Ms Higgins’s letter was Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian politician and current leader of the political party Voice, who said the President’s wife was not well informed on the conflict.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Ms Rudik said if there was anything good in the controversy about the letter it was that it had encouraged people to push against the narrative that there could be agreement with Russian president Vladimir Putin.

[  Sabina Higgins ‘dismayed’ by criticism of her view on Ukraine peace talks ]

[ Kathy Sheridan: Sabina Higgins is as publicly embedded in this 12-year presidency as her husband ]

[ Michael McDowell: Sabina Higgins was just wrong to write that letter ]

When asked if she had been angered by the letter, Ms Rudik said she was not “extremely angry” but that she had been concerned and disappointed. “I do believe she [Ms Higgins] meant well, but the issue we are facing right now as a country and as a society is that there would be many more people like Ms Sabina Higgins who think it is possible to get an agreement with Putin.

“This is a narrative that we are fighting right now because there is no fact that would say that an agreement with Putin was possible. There’s an emotional wish that everybody would be good and that this is possible,” Ms Rudik said.

“Unfortunately we have not seen anything in the past that would prove that it is possible — this is why it is so important to clarify, to discuss and to show the strong position when a narrative like this appears.”

Ms Rudik said she hoped Ms Higgins realised her letter was “rather misguided”. On the day the letter was published, she said, 53 men died.

“Fifty-three families lost their loved ones, who had potentially been tortured.

“It is so clear now that good is good and evil is evil.”