Madam, - The new EU Treaty agreed in Brussels includes reform of EU voting rights. This will require a constitutional referendum in Ireland and the Taoiseach has already announced that this referendum will be held in 2008.
I call on the Taoiseach to implement another voting measure that was passed by constitutional referendum 28 years ago on July 5th, 1979 and is still awaiting implementation - the 7th Amendment to the Irish Constitution in relation to university representation in Seanad Éireann. It is a disgrace that reform of Seanad Éireann, including widening the electorate for the six university seats to include graduates of all of our universities and dividing the seats more equitably among the various universities, has been totally ignored by successive governments despite the stated will of the Irish people.
I have no doubt that the constitutional referendum that includes reform of EU voting rights, if passed, will not be left to gather dust on a shelf for 28 years.
Why should reform of voting rights in relation to Seanad Éireann have to wait another minute? - Yours, etc,
LINDA O'SHEA FARREN, Raglan Road, Dublin 4.
Madam, - Your report on the current Seanad elections (June 23rd) underlines a fundamental problem with those elections, insofar as they relate specifically to third-level graduates.
The elections exclude tens of thousands of Irish graduates, for no reason other than the institution awarding their degrees. Only graduates of a limited number of third-level institutions have the right to vote in the elections for the six university seats, while very large numbers of other graduates are arbitrarily excluded under the present system.
This is contrary to the principles of democracy and fairness, and deserving of urgent amendment by the Oireachtas. - Yours, etc,
MICHAEL KELLY, MA, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15.
Madam, - John Waters (June 25th) is dead right about the Seanad, and it is time that we do something about it. In the new Programme for Government, there is mention of implementing the 2003 reform proposals drafted by an all-party committee, provided there is "consensus."
Most professional politicians, not all, but most, are happy to leave well alone, whilst protesting that they themselves are in favour of universal suffrage even if their wayward colleagues are not.
Let's call their bluff. Let the Green Party prove that they've still got soul by proposing a free vote in the Dáil to put the proposals to the people, and let's see which one of our elected servants in the Dáil is against the people voting.
Sure, the Seanad will oppose reform, but so what? They don't care about us, why should we give a damn about them? It's pitchfork and burning torches time. - Yours, etc,
JASON O'MAHONY, Coppinger Glade, Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
A Chara, - Senator Shane Ross feels that An Post is making "a certain mockery of the democratic process" (June 25th) over the time taken to deliver ballots to TCD and NUI graduates.
As both a disenfranchised graduate of the Institute of Technology Tallaght and a disenfranchised citizen of Ireland, I find the fact that Senator Ross is elected by persons who gained their vote on the basis of choosing his alma mater over mine, or any third-level institute for that matter, is a mockery of my democratic right to select the law-makers of this State.
Perhaps the senator's time would be better spent dealing with the fact that the Oireachtas has consistently ignored the will of the people, as expressed in the 7th Amendment, for the extension of the "University" panel to all third-level institutions in the country. - Is mise, le meas,
COLM DOYLE, Grange Road, Rathfarnham.