Sir, - Patricia McKenna MEP refers to the occasions on which the Supreme Court found the mainstream political parties guilty of unconstitutional, unfair and undemocratic practices in referendums (March 23rd).
The latest example of such abuse was found in relation to the divorce referendum, when it was held by the Supreme Court in proceedings brought by Ms McKenna and Mr Anthony Coughlan that the then government parties of Fine Gael, Labour and their left-wing allies had acted illegally in using taxpayers' money to finance their campaign to introduce divorce into Irish law.
Now that the spotlight has been thrown on Fine Gael finances, perhaps that party will reply to a question which I have already posed through the columns of your newspaper and which was left unanswered.
The government parties' budget for the pro-divorce campaign was over half-a-million pounds. When the Supreme Court found that taxpayers' money had been used unlawfully to promote this campaign (as later noted by the Comptroller and Auditor-General in his annual report), was that money or any part thereof ever refunded to the Exchequer by the guilty parties?
How much money was expended on the costs of all parties to the legal proceedings? Who has had to pay these costs? Perhaps Ms McKenna could throw some light on these issues if the guilty parties continue to maintain silence. - Yours, etc.,
Roderick J. O'Hanlon, Kilternan, Co Dublin.