Sir, – Stephen Collins (Opinion, December 21st) jumps to a number of conclusions about the need for political reform in this country.
He considers the rejection of the Seanad referendum “a serious dent in the reform project” when it demonstrated the electorate has a more nuanced understanding of political reform than it is given credit for. He points to the “limited remit of the Constitutional Convention” without acknowledging it arose from the same problem behind the Seanad referendum; a top-down approach to reform rather than a bottom-up approach that could have engaged society.
He may certainly argue that reforming political institutions will not solve all of the political culture’s problems, but the tone of his article seems to suggest that neither should be reformed.
Collins underestimates how much impact institutions can have on human behaviour.
I can point to at least three ways our dysfunctional political system contributed to the financial crisis; a lack of parliamentary scrutiny over the executive, a lack of transparency for the civil service and a lack of direct citizen participation in key government decisions.
Addressing these systemic flaws is part of the work of changing our political culture. The reform project is therefore far from over. – Yours, etc,
JONATHAN VICTORY,
Clonard Drive,
Sandyford, Dublin 16.