Constitutional Amendment

Sir, - With the low turnout in the Constitutional amendment, there's a lot to be said for the provisions in our old, 1922 Constitution…

Sir, - With the low turnout in the Constitutional amendment, there's a lot to be said for the provisions in our old, 1922 Constitution. It required (in Article 50) that:either a majority of the electorate (i.e. those eligible to vote) voted in favour of an amendment for it to be passedor two-thirds of those voting voted in favour, for it to be passed.The 1937 Constitution now in force has no such provision, so a simple majority of a very small turnout can pass a referendum, as has happened in recent times.Under the 1922 Constitution, which was in force in July, 1937, the extraordinary amendment to bring in the 1937 Constitution was not lawfully passed as only 43 per cent of the electorate voted in favour of it and of those voting, only a small majority - 56.6 per cent - voted in favour.It is remarkable too that Ireland today remains saddled with a cumbersome and turgid Constitution drafted by people and voted in by people most of whom are no longer with us. The 1922 Constitution is a much shorter document, lucidly written, more straightforward, more readily understood and less divisive. It is worth revisiting. - Yours, etc.,John Colgan, TC,Leixlip,Co Kildare.