Sir, - John Waters is right in his assertion (July 9th), that the media frenzy criticising the proposal to ban opinion polls for seven days before an election is totally over the top. He is also right in his opinion that there is a valid case for a total ban on opinion polls. There is no doubt that, far from being independent scientific snap shots of the public's view, opinion polls are powerful tools in the formation and manipulation of public opinion.
The furore over the ban has distracted attention from the much more important issue of political party funding. The Election Bill, as I understand it, contained provisions copperfastening the present discredited system in which the wealthy fund political parties and naturally look for a return on their investment.
It also distracted attention away from the issue of publicly-funded and independent public service broadcasting. As I see it RT╔ is grovelling and will continue to grovel to the present and any prospective government if it is to be adequately funded. Any independent criticism of the political system from that quarter will, therefore, be very muted.
Both of these issues are very important for the future health of our democracy. They have, however, received little attention recently while the much-less important seven-day ban on opinion polls grabbed the headlines. - Yours, etc.,
A. Leavy, Sutton, Dublin 13.