Sir, – While the current Government is by no means the one I would prefer running the country, your letter-writer is right, it’s crucial that they run their full term now (Letters, June 19th).
There remain dozens of pieces of important legislation working their way through the Dáil and Seanad, all of which would automatically fall whenever a general election is called.
Crucially, the public consultation on the Government’s proposed Seanad Electoral (University Members) (Amendment) Bill 2024 only closed last week. While the Supreme Court in July 2023 gave the Oireachtas until the end of May 2025 to remedy the current unconstitutional situation by which six senators are elected, the simple and unavoidable reality is that the highest court in the land has determined that the legislation dealing with Seanad elections as it stands is not compatible with the foundational law of the state, the Constitution of Ireland.
For the next Seanad to carry constitutional legitimacy, new legislation on how it is elected must be in place and operational ahead of the next Seanad general election. Calling a general election before the end of the year, when a new law on Seanad elections may not be in place, could call into question the very legitimacy of the next Oireachtas.
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For this and many other reasons core to the running of the State, the Government should continue until the spring of next year. – Yours, etc,
TOMÁS HENEGHAN,
East Wall,
Dublin 3.
