Sir, – Joe Mulholland ("This is no time for indecisive, weak government", Opinion & Analysis, March 25th) does not go far enough. Our current system for national elections is totally unfit for purpose.
An understandable mistrust of political parties is leading to ever-greater fragmentation. It is conceivable that, within two elections, we will have at least one Independent in each constituency. This situation would make members of any political party reluctant to enter government, knowing full well their vulnerability to criticism by the new permanent opposition should any necessary national decision prove unpopular in their constituency.
It is to avoid such destructive localised conflicts that many countries with (largely) proportional systems have a minimum threshold, usually 3 or 5 per cent, below which any party can not be represented in the national parliament.
Something tells me that such a proposal is unlikely to form part of the current enthusiasm for Dáil reform. – Yours, etc,
Dr KEVIN T RYAN,
Limerick.