Sir, – Among Conor Brady’s 10 suggestions for “reform” of the Oireachtas (Opinion, June 29th), I was disturbed to read his final suggestion that the constitutional protection for TDs and senators travelling to and from either House of the Oireachtas should be abolished.
This “privilege” (although it shouldn’t really be described as such, as it is more of a safety mechanism for democracy) which Mr Brady takes aim at, enshrined in Article 15.13 of Bunreacht na hÉireann, is in place so that, for example, no taoiseach or minister for justice could order the gardaí to prevent a member of the Oireachtas (an opposition member, for example) from attending a vote in the Oireachtas. If it were possible for the government to act in such a way, we would be on a short road to an autocratic state. Mr Brady asserts that “there has never been an instance in the history of the State in which the gardaí have sought to detain an elected representative in order to prevent them exercising their duty”. But perhaps it is because this crucial constitutional provision has been in place that there has been no such incidence of the gardaí being deployed (or taking it upon themselves) to prevent a member carrying out his duty.
In the interests of democracy, I believe that it must remain this way. As one of the leaders of the Easter Rising was fond of repeating to the men under his command in 1916: “The price of liberty is eternal vigilance”. – Yours, etc,
JOHN B REID,
Knapton Road,
Monkstown, Co Dublin.