Madam, - I am surprised and dismayed that the remarks concerning the introduction of identity cards in Ireland from both Dermot Ahern and Michael McDowell have not led to any wide debate. It is almost as though there is a tacit acquiescence that such a strategy should be adopted as a direct result of the awful London bombings.
In the UK, where the introduction of such cards is more imminent than here (we believe), there is no consensus that their introduction will produce the solutions their proponents claim. But at least there is a debate.
The advocates of ID cards claim their introduction is necessary to prevent further bomb outrages, but ID cards in Spain did not prevent the atrocity in Madrid last year. For a viable ID card strategy, the technology needs to be 100 per cent reliable to ensure that no mistakes are made. That is not the case today and it is questionable if it ever will be. Individuals must be able to check the information held on them. Given this Government's inept attempt at introducing electronic voting without even basic civil liberties safeguards, one cannot view Ministers' current enthusiasm for ID cards with anything but foreboding. Let us not sleepwalk into further curtailment of civil liberty. - Yours, etc,
JOHN R BAILEY,
Cowper Downs,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.