A chara, – Well done to Fintan O'Toole! It is only March and he surely has the 2015 Irish Times Hyperbole Award in the bag with "How hopes raised by the Convention on the Constitution were dashed" (Opinion & Analysis, March 3rd). I particularly like his calling the convention a cynical machine "that sucks in hope" at one ends and spews out "neatly wrapped bundles of futility at the other". Wonderful stuff.
However, just in case he believes his own rhetoric, let me assure him that as I wander around my parish and the adjoining towns, I have yet to encounter anyone walking the streets, eyes downcast, bewailing the languishing recommendations of the convention, or run across anyone standing at a corner, beating his breast, and shaking a fist at the heavens while crying out against the lost opportunity to have a series of constitutional referendums in rapid succession.
So I think he really need have no worries about the hearts of the nation being anguished or enraged over this issue.
Indeed, the only cynicism I meet with concerning referendums is how they have seemed to occur with increasing frequency over the years.
We appear to have decades now where the aftermath of one campaign for an amendment morphs seamlessly into the run up to the next. I have even heard it suggested that it is suspicious how they allow our beloved political leaders appear to be very busy while doing little to address the pressing issues of the day.
Even so, if it were up to me I would put forward one additional amendment, one that laid down that all future amendments would only be passed by a two-thirds majority of those voting, and even then only if at least 50 per cent of those registered turn out to vote.
Something like that might put the brakes on all this endless tinkering with our Constitution. Of course, I doubt it will ever happen; but perhaps that just me being cynical. – In mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.