Madam, - Peter A. Grehan (September 30th) is critical of TDs who change their allegiance between elections. Some argue that such a TD should resign his or her seat and stand again.
The problem with this is that, in a multi-seat constituency, such a candidate would be unlikely to win a one-seat by-election unless he or she had previously won an exceptionally high vote, or else was going over to the strongest party in the constituency. Some years ago, a TD who was changing sides said that he would be quite happy to resign and start again if the other TDs in his area would do the same. Needless to say, they did not oblige.
The only possible argument left to those critical of this sort of thing is that deputies should not change their minds between elections.
However, changing one's mind is a prerogative of everyone else in many situations and long may it remain so. - Yours, etc.,
TOM WILLIAMS,
Goldenbridge Avenue,
Dublin 8.