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US VICE PRESIDENT Joe Biden continued his visit to Ireland today by taking in visits to Trinity College and Dublin Castle.
And America’s second-in-command took the opportunity to take aim at another American who was spending the day on this side of the Atlantic – Donald Trump.
In introducing Biden at Dublin Castle, Taoiseach Enda Kenny got quite a cheer for saying that Ireland’s relationship with the UK will endure the Brexit vote. Not as great a cheer as he did for mentioning Robbie Brady’s goal against Italy mind you.
Biden, fresh from receiving an honorary doctorate from Trinity College (during which he insisted that America’s ‘special bond’ with the UK following yesterday’s Brexit vote will endure), took the opportunity to fire a thinly-veiled barb at the presumptive Republican nominee for November’s American presidential election.
Biden also took note of the fact that Pride is happening in Dublin tomorrow by recounting a story about how he and his father saw two men kissing in 1959 or 1960.
“Joey, it’s easy, they love each other,” Biden said his father told him.
The Vice President cited the fact that ‘equal rights’ are called for in the Irish Proclamation of Independence.
“My parents never forgot where they came from,” he said.
Every time I’d walk out the door my father would say: ‘remember Joe, the best drop of blood in you is Irish.
Presumably in reference to Trump, Biden derided the “un-American” response of “reactionary politicians and demagogues” who blame immigrants for a country’s woes.
“It is un-American what we have been seeing. It is not who we have become. It is not who we are,” he said.
We’re defined by a common creed that says our children, if they work hard, if they’re loyal, they can live a better life than the generation before them… it’s a belief shared by the vast majority of immigrant families that have come to the United States.
Today is the fourth day of the Vice President’s six-day visit, rounded off with a visit to the Ireland Funds Conference at Dublin’s Stephen’s Green.
Tomorrow Biden will visit various locations in Co Louth and Co Meath, including the passage grave at Newgrange.
The Vice President returns to America on Sunday.
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Welcome to the reality of supporting some one with a difference here , talk to parents and siblings about how we have to fight for everything.
Fair play to the foster carers for contacting the Ombudsman and therefore going up against Tusla and the HSE. Not a decision taken lightly. There is a bullying mentality when you go against these agencies. Hopefully now the child and her family will get the supports they need. It’s disgraceful that the family had to put themselves through the stress and pressure to get the outcome.
@Clare Sharkey: Sad thing is that TUSLA are in the process of moving the child into a residential type setting and removing her from the wonderful foster family. Wouldn’t it be much easier to put the supports in place and leave her with the loving foster family.
@Lorraine Roche: its a power struggle. Easier to blame foster carers than themselves.
It’s not only children with disabilities who are in care the system is failing it’s children with disabilities full stop. Your child with a disability is accepted into a service-8-18 disability service- they then have to go on waiting lists within that service for Speech& Language, Occupational Therapy, Psychologist etc…. Services are badly organised and seriously under resourced.
A certain spectacle Senator with his “human rights activists” friends will be working tirelessly on this one.
“bespectacled
@Are roo from Cork: think you were right first time.
Abandoned at birth !!!!!????
The poor Girl can expect a lifetime of neglect by the state, funding is ridiculously low in the intellectual disability area, from childhood right through to Adult services!
The Government should take control of all services and streamline while increasing funding – the current system with dozens of organisations with CEO’s on mainly over €100k with generous expenses is putting tax money into the wrong hands instead of into the frontline where conditions have plummeted and staff under severe pressure are leaving disillusioned!
Put the money where it matters and strip away the red tape to give those with disabilities the services they deserve- too much of a gravy train at present!
@David Grey: leo will be in shortly saying how “it shouldn’t be like this”
have your say