Madam, - I do not rejoice that we have a parliamentary democracy, as A Leavy exhorts (August 17th). I take it for granted. Why wouldn't we have a parliamentary democracy?
Every other country in western Europe has one, as far as I'm aware.
I made a series of phone calls this morning, to the embassies of Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The member of parliament to population ratios in the first eight of these countries, those on the European mainland, are 1:43,700; 1:69,300; 1:108,000; 1:104,000; 1:91,300; 1:67,300; 1:45,650 and 1:28,450 respectively.
In the four Scandinavian countries the ratios are 1:30,200; 1:27,200; 1:25,800 and 1:26,000 respectively.
The ratio for Ireland is 1:25,300. So we are top of this table, as I predicted in my letter of August 15th, although the Scandinavian countries aren't far behind.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to carry out a more comprehensive survey, but I would be willing to bet that if it covered the entire continent of Europe we would be near the top of the table, just as we are near the top of any table that measures economic performance, while languishing near the bottom of any that measures factors that contribute to social cohesion. - Yours, etc,
JOE PATTON, Chapelizod Court, Chapelizod, Dublin 20.