Material relating to events which took place 1990-1997 during Mary Robinson (MR)'s presidency including thank you card from John Fahy who attended a lunch and was a guest at the President's table; typed note on Irish lessons and dates of classes [most likely private lessons MR was taking], no date; typed memo from Joseph Brennan, Deputy Secretary to the President, in relation to seminar where issue of "Studies" Journal would be launched had been moved to September, 22/04/199[?].

Ref: P143/4/12/9

Material relating to events which took place in 1990 during Mary Robinson (MR)'s presidency including fax and background information on investment and tourism in Ireland, possibly ahead of meetings with the IDA and Bord Fáilte, sent by Matt McNulty, Deputy Director General, and which includes material relating to the Presidential Inauguration, on 3rd December, 15-17/11/1990; letter from Frank Murray, Assistant Secretary to the Government, to John Nolan, Registrar, National University of Ireland, in relation to the State Apartments at Dublin Castle being used to confer Honorary Doctorate on MR on 24th January 1991, 29/11/1990; list of MR's public engagements for Saturday 8th - Saturday 15th of December, and list of wine and food to be served at reception on 15th December, [Áras an Uachtaráin, for relatives of people detained in Iraq and Kuwait?].

Ref: P143/4/12/1

Various items of ephemera including single blank page with Áras an Uachtaráin [official resident of the President of Ireland] letterhead in old Irish print (Seanchló), a font which went out of use in the mid-20th century; business card for Mary Robinson, President of Ireland; compliment slip "With compliments of the President", in English, Irish and French; voting card for President Robinson for the referendum on the Maastricht Treaty, 07/02/1992; two commemorative envelopes for Council of Europe, featuring image of Mary Robinson on cover and marking her addresses to the council 29/06/1994 and 17/05/1995; single two dollar bill from Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, possibly from visit in 1994.

Ref: P143/4/18/1

Ephemera relating to Mary Robinson’s term as President of Ireland, 12/1990-09/1997.

Ref: P143/4/18

Material relating to the dissolution of Dáil Éireann [lower House of Irish Parliament] and role of the President of Ireland in that process. Includes memo from Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, referring to and enclosing material from file which he had sought from the National Archives in November 1990, relating to 1937 (photocopies) and another which included a brief guiding note on the matter from 1989, 27/01/1992; photocopy of article by former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald in the Irish Times noting Mary Robinson (MR) as President would be correct to refuse to dissolve the Dáil on Mr Haughey's request (then Taoiseach), 25/01/1992; minutes including notation, of meeting with Mr Frank Clarke, SC [Senior Counsel], in relation to advice on dissolution of the Dáil, 14/11/1994; typed memo on 22 telephone calls received by Áras an Uachtaráin [official residence of the President of Ireland] mainly offering support to MR on her decision and requesting she try to see if General Election could be avoided, 14-15/11/1994; draft statements based on accepting or refusing to dissolve Dáil; typed document "Request for Advice" which relates to seeking of advice on legal issues relating to President exercising her discretionary power to refuse a dissolution; background material on the Irish constitution including chapter on "Summoning and Dissolving Dáil Éireann".

[Archivist's note: The 26th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary Robinson on 5 November 1992, at the request of the Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, who replaced Mr Charles Haughey as Taoiseach on 11/02/1992. The 27th Dáil saw a change of Taoiseach from Albert Reynolds to John Bruton in December 1994, the only time there was a new Taoiseach with a change in the party composition of the government during a Dáil term. The 27th Dáil was dissolved by President Mary Robinson on 15 May 1997, at the request of the Taoiseach, John Bruton.]

Ref: P143/4/14/11

Typed letter from Mr Myles Tierney, PC, in relation to the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill, 1993, in which he shares his concerns about the Bill, includes excerpts from report prepared by the Irish Family Planning Association, and urges President Mary Robinson to refer it to the Supreme Court, with response from Peter Ryan, Secretary to the President, 24-30/06/1993.

Ref: P143/4/14/3

Material relating to the convening of the Council of State to examine the Equal Status Bill, 1997, following summoning to do so by President Mary Robinson (MR), including memo from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the Government, to MR attaching draft schedule and draft press release for meeting, 29/04/1997; photocopies of discussion in Dáil Éireann on Equal Status Bill, 1997, second stage, 27th February 1997, in Seanad Éireann, second state and committee stage, 15th, 17th April 1997; transcript from Seanad Éireann on Equal Status Bill, 1997, Report and Final Stages, [17?]/04/1997; photocopies of Equal Status Bill, 1997 as passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and Explanatory and Financial Memorandum; typed agenda and seating arrangements for meeting of Council of State, 06/05/1997, and seating plan for formal photograph; letter from Campaign to Separate Church and State, raising concerns over the Bill, with cover note from PR in which he noted he would circulate letter to Council of State members, 05-06/05/1997; minutes of 21st meeting of the Council of State, Council of State Room, 6th May, signed by MR 12/05/1997; correspondence between Dr TK Whitaker and Mr Gerard Hogan, Barrister at Law, on whether if a Bill were referred for judgement by the Supreme Court on a section only, whether their judgement affected the whole Bill, 04/04-06/05/1997; report on meeting of 21st meeting of the Council of State, 06/05/1997.

Ref: P143/4/14/12/5

Material relating to the convening of the Council of State to examine the Employment Equality Bill, 1996, following summoning to do so by President Mary Robinson (MR), including letters from organisations and the public to MR voicing concerns with the Bill. It includes correspondence from The Campaign to Separate Church and State who felt section 37 of the Bill was unconstitutional and incompatible with Ireland's obligations in international law, 02/1997, typed letter expressing concerns the Bill gave powers to religious organisations to refuse employment to a teacher or nurse or admission to a child to protect the religious ethos of the organisation, 27/02/1997 and photocopies of other anonymised handwritten communication; correspondence from the Equality Campaign in relation to the Bill, concerns they had, and their belief it would be in the public interest to refer sections of the Bill to the Supreme Court, 17-26/02/1997; transcript of Seanad Éireann Employment Equality Bill, 1996: Committee Stage (Resumed), 12th March and report stage, 12th March; memo from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, in relation to arguments for and against referral of the Bill to the Supreme Court, 19/03/1997; photocopies of Employment Equality Bill, 1996 as passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas; memos from PR of action to be taken if Bill was or was not being referred, along with draft press releases covering both possibilities, [March?], 1997 and in relation to draft schedule for Council of State Meeting and notice convening it, 21/03-01/04/1997; typed agenda and seating arrangements for meeting of Council of State, 01/04/1997, and seating plan for formal photograph; fax of draft report of meeting, sent from PR to MR, 01/04/1997; photocopy of faxed letter from Dr Michael McKillen, to MR pushing for MR to refer the bill to the Supreme Court, 01/04/1997; letter from Geraldine O'Farrell FitzGerald with note she was asked to write it by Board of Management Members when applying for a job as a National School teacher, and letter dating from 1995 from her husband where he stated that allegations about his private life [that he was a Jehovah's Witness] which he claimed were circulating and false could have bearing on his wife's application, faxed with cover note from PR, 02/04/1997; cutting from Irish Times, 02/04/1997 of photograph of Council of State, and articles on the convening of the Council.

Ref: P143/4/14/12/4

Report on 19th meeting of the Council of State, Council of State Room, on 16 March 1995, which was convened to allow President Mary Robinson to consult with the Council on whether or not to refer to the Supreme Court the Regulation of Information (Services outside the State for Termination of Pregnancies) Bill, 1995, signed on 31 January 1996, by the President.

Ref: P143/4/14/12/3

Material relating to the convening of the Council of State to examine the Criminal Justice Public Order Bill, 1993, following summoning to do so by President Mary Robinson (MR), including memo from Peter Ryan (PR), Secretary to the President, on the background of the Bill and the areas of concern, 07/12/1993; letters from the public to MR voicing concerns that the Bill would infringe upon rights of those to preach the gospel on the streets "Street Evangelism", including handwritten letter from Eugene Dunne, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, where he lists the names and ages of his children, 28/11/1993, typed letter from Rev David Clements, Woodvale Methodist Church, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 26/11/1993, handwritten letter from Ms Nancy Keelik, Cork, 07/12/1993, The Reverend Tony Simpson, Pastor, Cork 07/12/1993, typed letter signed by Church officers of Cork Baptist Church, 08/12/1993; typed letter of concern signed by representatives of Laois Peace and Justice Group, Irish National Congress (Laois Branch), Laois Resource Group, Environmental Action Alliance-Ireland, Laois Unemployment Alliance and Hillview Drive Residents and Tenants Association, 14/12/1993; memo from PR to MR on schedule of presentation for signature of Bill, and on Irish Press article which "disappointingly quoted 'sources'", 09/02/1993; transcript of discussion [possibly at Committee stage of Bill in Dáil Éireann/Seanad Éireann], 23/02/1994; office Council of State notice convening meeting for 1st March, 1994; typed brief from Dr Whitaker sent in prior to meeting with cover note from PR, 28/02/1994; Dáil Éireann Parliamentary Debates Official report - unrevised, for Select Committee on Legislation and Security. 14th, 15th and 20th September 1994, with pages marked and passages highlighted; copy of Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill, 1993 as initiated [No. 36 of 1993], as passed by Dáil Éireann [No. 36b of 1993] and as passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas [No. 36c of 1993]; list of members of Council of State; minutes for 17th Meeting of the Council of State, Council of State Room, 01/03/1994; report on meeting, 02/03/1994.

Ref: P143/4/14/12/2