MARY HENRY, MD,
Sir, - It is reported in your edition of January 24th that Mr Jim Dorney, General Secretary of the TUI, has written to the Taoiseach asking him to amend the Senate Electoral Act to include graduates from colleges such as DCU, UL and universities of technology. Actually the facilities to have most such graduates included are already in place following a constitutional amendment over 20 years ago.
Mr Dorney says that the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) is now the biggest third-level institution in the country and its graduates have no vote. In fact, all those who graduated from the DIT between 1975 and the intake of 1998/99 will hold Trinity degrees and are most welcome and valued constituents of the Dublin University panel. - Yours, etc.,
MARY HENRY, MD,
Independent Senator,
Dublin University Panel,
Dublin 2.
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Sir, - When reading the report on the Seanad elections in your edition of January 24th, I recalled my decision of some years ago not to canvass for a much admired independent senator, because, as I informed him, it is a highly undemocratic way of electing members of a chamber that has an important role in our democracy.
At a time when there is so much cynicism about politics and politicians, the idea that only university graduates should have a vote, when many of the PAYE workers who paid their taxes to subsidise their education are excluded, seems quite indefensible.
Surely this anachronism is long overdue for reform, especially as it is now obviously bringing politics further into disrepute! - Yours, etc.,
ALICE LEAHY,
Upper Rathmines Road,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.