Sir, – There is little doubt that the current wrangling over the levers of power in government is doing untold damage to the reputation of the country. The leaders of the two main parties know this but both seem preoccupied with how the optics will play out in the rumps of their respective parties.
Whether some people like it or not, we live in a shrinking, globalised world that makes few allowances for failure. Businesses, large and small, must be strong and fit enough to compete with the best and have the full backing of an equally strong and disciplined structure in government – one that has the ability to make unpopular decisions when needed.
The argument that Spain is taking considerably longer to form a government is childish and irrelevant. Spain has serious and existential problems of its own – as has Greece.
Now that we have a plethora of Independents with differing views, and a rising far-left party waiting in the wings, those who are truly concerned for our standing as a progressive and relatively prosperous and democratic State can only hope that the “establishment” parties, which should include Labour, can get their act together. – Yours, etc,
NIALL GINTY,
Killester, Dublin 5.
Sir, – Our PR system in multi- seat constituencies, while ostensibly ensuring that representatives are elected in numbers proportionate to their support among voters, does not in reality strictly secure this objective because of its vagaries, and certainly does not always produce majority party government. Two attempts were made (1959 and 1968) to change the system but were rejected by the electorate mainly for “political” reasons and unfortunately not for reasons related to the intrinsic merits or demerits of the changes proposed.
A much fairer, and strictly more democratically representative system would be the present PR system as used currently in byelections but, and this is a crucial but, in single-seat constituencies. This arrangement would eliminate the corrosive practice whereby TDs in multiseat constituencies are not only competing with members of their own party but also with opposition TDs; it thrives on, and gives rise to, localism and parochialism; and it distracts and detracts TDs from their main functions as legislators, policy formulators, etc. It also duplicates the functions that local councillors should be performing.
In short, what I am proposing would be the best and fairest means of achieving the principle of effective, democratic, majority government and would avoid the damaging, unseemly charade and posturing we have seen since the last election. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN O’DONNELL,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
A chara, – As some seven weeks have now passed since the general election and we still await our new government, I suggest prayers to St. Jude, the patron of hopeless cases. – Is mise,
SEÁN Ó CUINN,
An Charraig Dhubh,
Co Baile Ãtha Cliath.