Madam, - Emmet Stagg TD (January 30th) places all the blame on the Government parties for the relatively short duration of parliamentary sessions in this State. And Kieran Phillips (February 1st) rightly points out that governments of all colours have failed to engage in serious Dáil reform.
The major obstacle is our electoral system, PR-STV, and the use of multi-seat constituencies. In Reflections on the Irish State, former Taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald wrote that, compared with alternative electoral systems, the Irish electoral system increases the chances of TDs losing their seats by double, or treble in the case of Fianna Fáil TDs.
Thus, despite its main positive attribute - producing a reasonably representative parliament - PR-STV and the use of multi-seat constituencies require TDs to dedicate a disproportionate amount of time to their constituency work. They do so, understandably, to protect their seats from not only political opponents but also ambitious party colleagues.
This damages the role of TDs, for whom legislating should be the prime concern. They spend an inordinate amount of time processing representations on behalf of constituents and attending clinics in their constituencies, as well as functions, funerals and the like.
All of this helps explain the tendency toward short parliamentary sessions. - Yours, etc,
TOM WARD, Monastery Road, Dublin 22.
Madam, - Could Emmet Stagg TD (January 30th) confirm the number of opposition TDs who were absent when the many empty motions to extend Dáil sitting times were proposed over the last two terms of Government?
By my calculations, if even two-thirds of the opposition TDs had been present these motions would have been carried.
I'm sure it's only the cynic in me that thinks such motions are for show, but I may stand to be corrected. - Yours, etc,
DAVID O'REILLY, St Helens Wood, Booterstown, Co Dublin..