Sir, - Eamon Gilmore TD (January 17th) again makes the mistake of confusing issues which are separate. Before he is tempted to reply hastily, let me assure him that I too am against the current proposals on electoral reform.
He says: "their [the poor's] only way of influencing policy matters is by direct contact with their elected public representatives." If constituency clinics were used to influence policy I would have no problem with them, but they're not. They're used by the public when bureaucracy goes wrong, and by politicians to win votes. This is not what TDs are intended for, elected for or paid for.
He says: "The wealthy and privileged will always have access to the powerful, no matter what the electoral system." But no-one is suggesting otherwise. Electoral reform may or may not reduce clientelism; something else is needed to reduce corruption. I submit that TDs of vision and principles are what is needed, and that such people are thin on the ground partly because of the parochial nature of politics in this country. - Yours, etc.,
James McDermott, Uggool, Moycullen, Co Galway.