Sir, – Kieran Mulvey (August 24th) is correct. The Seanad should be abolished.
It is neither a republican institution nor a democratic one. It represents the fossilised remains of something that was brought into being to attempt to redress the problem of the domination of the Irish State by one particular tradition at its foundation. As such it deserves respect, but not to the extent that it should be retained after it has become redundant for this purpose, as it happily, but assuredly, has.
Contrary to what one might think reading of the emotive language at one recent summer school, the abolition of the Senate could not possibly represent a power grab, for the simple reason that it has absolutely no power. And it is decidedly unrepresentative, given the way its members are chosen. The idea of it forming some sort of linkage between the sovereignty of the people and the responsibilities of the executive is laughable.
Away with it, I say. Let us have a unicameral parliament upon which the impressive commentators of our relatively unfettered press, which is far more valuable as an organ of the State than any cloistered talking shop, can focus all of their attention. – Yours, etc,
SEAMUS McKENNA,
Farrenboley Park,
Windy Arbour,
Dublin 14.