Sir, - On the forthcoming election day (June 11th) in addition to voting to elect members to the European Parliament and various Local Authorities, citizens will also have the opportunity of voting on a proposed amendment to the Constitution concerning our local government system. The proposed amendment provides for granting Constitutional recognition to Local Government and the holding of elections for members of Local Authorities at least every five years.
It is indeed regrettable that a proposal of such fundamental importance to the democratic life of the country should have attracted so little publicity - with some notable exceptions. In fact the necessary legislation was rushed through the Oireachtas in one day.
In a recent article on local government by the Minister for Environment and Local Government (May 14th), the proposal was not directly referred to. The Government deserves some credit for this latest step in accepting the recommendations of the Barrington report (1990) as well as those of the Constitutional Review Group (1996). However "mild" these may be, it is to be hoped that citizens will respond appropriately by supporting the proposed amendment when exercising the franchise on June 11th.
An affirmative vote would bring the Republic into line with most countries elsewhere (other than the United Kingdom, which of course, does not have the protection of a written Constitution). Yours, etc.,
R. B. Haslam, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Limerick.