Madam, – Your assertion (Editorial, February 8th) that Fianna Fail never “in all of its years in power” used the provision in the Constitution (28.7.2) that allows for up to two members of the Government to be appointed from the Seanad is incorrect.
In the 16th Dáil Éamon de Valera appointed Senator Seán Moylan as Minister for Agriculture from May 16th, 1957 until his death on November 16th, 1957. Granted this hardly constituted radical use of the provision but other parties were as sparing, with only Garret FitzGerald appointing Senator James Dooge as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the 22nd Dáil, from October 21st 1981 until March 9th, 1982. – Yours, etc,