Madam, - Liam Kennedy's ill-informed attack on Irish representative democracy (November 13th), in which he compares per capita representation in the UK with Ireland, of course ignores the role played by devolved government in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In Wales, for example, a country with a population of 3 million, there are 60 members of the Welsh Assembly in addition to the 40 MPs sent to Westminster, giving a total lower house representation of 1:30,000 - comparable to Ireland's 1:25,000 ratio. In Scotland (population 5.2 million) there are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament, in addition to 59 MPs sent to Westminster, yielding a ratio of 1:27,000.
In terms of local government reform, the most glaring aspect of Irish local government is the lack of sources of autonomous revenue. This turns councils into glorified talking houses. In most countries, property taxes provide local government with revenue, but this is something to which Irish people seem to be allergic, much to their detriment. - Yours, etc,