Sir, – We have become pleasantly inclusive in our attitude towards homosexuality and somehow, at the same time, surprisingly cynical about the contribution young people can make in politics. The notion that middle age at least should be a prerequisite for presidency has more to do with artless pragmatism than common sense. Youth has its disadvantages, but so does age. The stale politics of dull experience might enervate a society as easily as fresh, inexperienced youth might embarrass it. Not all the aged are wise, nor is all of youth callow. A young face or an old face might represent Ireland equally well or ill.
The competition between age and youth has a better chance of stimulating positive progress than age does on its own, and politics should be kept open to the influences of both at every level. – Yours, etc,
COLIN WALSH,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – The 34th Amendment to the Constitution succeeded, according to commentators, because many of our younger voters, including those who came home to vote, exercised their franchise. Pundits estimated this at an attributed increase of 2 per cent in voter turnout. Over the weekend, in various media, politicians and commentators have lauded the arrival of this new cohort of voters into the electorate and commented on how it has changed the political landscape.
On polling day, the same electorate voted to effectively prevent the newly welcomed cohort from presenting themselves as candidates for the presidency. If this electorate has no confidence in themselves, how can it presume to confer a constitutional prerogative on another cohort? – Yours, etc,
CORMAC MEEHAN,
Bundoran,
Co Donegal.
Sir, – You cannot pick and choose on equality. What is so offensive about a president being under 35? – Yours, etc,
STEPHEN LEE,
Dublin 6W.
Sir, – Your editorial (“An unconvincing reform”, May 26th) declared the presidential referendum as “largely peripheral”. Prof Colum Kenny in his article (“Young people deserve better than the failed presidency referendum”, Opinion & Analysis, May 25th), and backed up by some of his eminent academic colleagues in the letters page on the same day, rubbished the opportunity to lower the age of eligibility for the presidency in the referendum. He and his colleagues declared a referendum to make those between the age of 21 and 35 eligible to become candidates for the highest post in the land to be a “shallow reform” in which the young adults were being “sold a pup”.
In contrast to your good self and the eminent professors, I thought the proposal to lower the age of eligibility for the presidency deserved to be supported. First, it was relevant to a bigger proportion of the population than the marriage equality proposal. Second, younger people have been more adversely affected by the downturn and, as citizens, should not have their say in how the country is run limited in any way.
The fact that it was not supported was, as referred to in Prof Kenny’s article and ignored in your editorial, that it was given largely peripheral coverage by the media which controlled the debate. – Yours, etc,
A LEAVY,
Dublin 13.
Sir, – I agree with Prof Colum Kenny that Irish politicians are very poor in the area of domestic political reform. However, he may have missed the basic motivation of the Government parties in adding the presidency referendum to the marriage referendum in the first place.
Governments, and especially those who implement austerity policies, face protest No votes in any poll outside of a general election. Fine Gael and Labour deliberately added the sacrificial lamb of the presidential referendum, which they cared very little about, to give voters an opportunity to vote against the Government without risking rejection of the marriage proposal.
This voting behaviour was especially evident in the younger age group who were expected to support lowering the minimum age of presidential candidates. Instead, in a clear protest vote, they rejected that proposal but voted for the Government-backed marriage referendum. – Yours, etc,
DONAL McGRATH,
Greystones,
Co Wicklow.