Sir, The progress of liberalising Irish law so as to eliminate discrimination against women, children and disadvantaged groups in our society is gradual.
After the ratification of the International Labour Convention in 1973 women receive equal pay for equal work. After the 1976 de Burca case and the change in the Juries Act, our legal system has the benefit of the input of women on juries.
Since 1977 and the Employment Equality Act, there is no legal discrimination in recruitment, training, promotion or employment of women on grounds of sex or marital status.
Since 1979 and the appointment of a woman as Minister for the Gaeltacht, women have continuously represented their politics and their sex admirably at the Cabinet table.
After the 1982 Murphy case, women are entitled to be taxed and treated individually as regards their own income.
From 1990, the seventh President of the State, in the words of Samuel Johnson, "embellishes everything she touches"
Since 1992, in the 27th Dail, some 22 women represent the electorate and their constituencies with certainly more style and frequently more elan than their male counterparts and since 1993, a woman, Mary Harney, is leader of a political party in Dail Eireann.
With £2 billion being spent each year by Government and families on the education of our children so as to give them an identifiably wide Irish cultural upbringing within a European context, our offspring have never been previously as well prepared for taking their places in modern society.
With ever greater access to education opportunities, to travel for study or holidays at home or abroad, with work openings in Europe, the old national economic protectionist and gender barriers have been slowly dismantled by the liberal agenda for a more open and caring society, to say nothing of more level pitches in the economic and business areas.
I therefore fail to understand how your letter writer, Ms Nora Bennis, (January 19th) can suggest that the tolerance expressed by the liberal agenda is anti woman, anti child and anti society. Yours, etc., PhB MA, Crodaun, Celbridge, Co Kildare.