Sir, – I wish to thank very sincerely the TDs who have spoken out courageously, at great personal cost, against using abortion as a treatment for suicide. They reflect and articulate the view of very many experts and well-informed citizens who feel disenfranchised and voiceless as a result of the leadership line adopted by our governing parties. In the absence of any sound defence of this provision, and we know that no evidence has been presented supporting it, the Fine Gael leadership has ultimately dealt with those within its “family” who are audacious enough to act in line with their conscientious reservations with authoritarian, iron-rod methods.
I respectfully remind Enda Kenny that it is the people who choose their representatives and there are many of us who rate courage, integrity and independent thought above membership of Fine Gael. – Yours, etc,
CATRIONA FLAHERTY,
Marshallstown,
Kilmessan,
Co Meath.
Sir, – Methinks Lucinda Creighton will top the polls, either in or out of her ministry or Fine Gael. What a breath of fresh air – somebody with a conscience in an atheistic Government. – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL O’MARA,
Ballygeale,
Patrickswell,
Co Limerick.
Sir, – It appears that “matters of conscience” for legislators apply only to topics of sex and reproduction. Perhaps, finally, we have the root cause of our financial crisis. – Yours, etc,
MICK LYNCH,
Connaught Street,
Phibsborough,
Dublin 7.
Sir, – Vincent Browne (“Restrictions in abortion Bill demeaning to women”, Opinion & Analysis, July 10th) refers to “medicos, almost certainly a majority of whom will be vastly overpaid, upper middle-class males, a category not renowned for its feminist ardour”. Personally, I have no objections to a lack of feminist ardour. But before Browne goes too far in currying favour with the sisterhood, may I remind him that a bunch of upper middle-class males decided the X case in favour of abortion for the under-age female. Of course, if you think that was the wrong decision, you will probably agree that they were and perhaps still are overpaid. – Yours, etc,
GERALD MURPHY
Marley Grange,
Dublin 16.
Sir, – Vincent Browne makes some interesting arguments. He might be taken seriously by some but for that little bit in parenthesis. Vincent is “astonished” at the “effrontery” of bishops in engaging in any debate on morals. Why is he “astonished” at anyone doing their bounden duty? Perhaps unlike David Robert Grimes on the same page, Vincent does, in fact, believe in absurdities. – Yours, etc,
DAVID WALSH
Convent Court,
Delgany,
Co Wicklow.
Sir, Alan Hynes’s article (“Abortion Bill debate shows dead hand of party whip”, Opinion & Analysis, July 10th) should be required reading for those who want to see Dáil reform. Many members of the Seanad have been arguing of late that the Dáil is in need of reform, which is true, and that the solution lies in a reformed Seanad, which is self-serving rubbish! What is needed is for TDs to realise that the human is an animal with a backbone – and that includes backbenchers.
Several backbenchers have refused to follow like sheep on the question of abortion. I don’t share their views but if this leads to more backbenchers and holders of lesser ministries going on to refuse to behave like sheep, then we will have seen the first step to Dáil reform. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN CASSERLY,
Abbeybridge,
Waterfall,
Cork.
Sir, – John Murray (July 10th) recommends the example of St Thomas More, the patron saint of politicians, to our Oireachtas members. As those who read or watched A Man for all Seasons will be aware, More was beheaded for refusing to approve the divorce and remarriage of Henry VIII. More aficionados should however also be aware that this "saint" burned six men alive who refused to compromise their own religious principles which were at variance with More's. I would respectfully ask Mr Murray to suggest a more appropriate patron. – Yours, etc,
Senator JOHN CROWN,
Seanad Éireann,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2.
A chara, – It strikes me as highly inappropriate that a politician elected to represent the people of a particular area would instead choose to ignore the express views of those people and vote in accordance with personally held views.
The key defining feature of a democratic system is that politicians are elected by and for the people and if we allow those we elect to ignore their mandate, we loose all accountability in our democratic system. More than that, we risk losing the essence and protection of our democratic system.
Of course the members of the Oireachtas have personal views on the issue of abortion but when they stand before the House as an elected representative, they are there to represent their constituents not themselves. Although their views represent a position held by certain groups in society, the stance being taken by TDs who represent my area do not reflect the majority of voters in my constituency.
I think it is outrageous that certain members of the Dáil feel that they can ignore the express views of their constituents in favour of their own personal views. I support their right to hold these views but when they stand before the Dáil, they must represent the views of those who put them there.
Anything else is beyond their mandate and does not and cannot pass the scrutiny of a democratic system. – Is mise,
SARAH REID,
Portobello,
Dublin 2.
Sir, – Maybe I am just a bit naive, but it strikes me as odd that we can have a referendum on the Seanad, but not on the abortion issue, which is a matter of life and death. Surely the gut will of the people, the deep-down conscience in the core of our being, cannot be silenced. And at what a cost if it is ignored. – Yours, etc,
Sr CATHERINE TANSEY,
St Vincent’s Centre,
Lisnagry,
Co Limerick.
Sir, – Many words from the past, often spoken in quite different contexts, may be surprisingly apposite today. Here is an example from a young Winston Churchill, in a 1906 speech directing his fire against Conservative Party leader Arthur Balfour in an election campaign where tariff reform and Chinese labour in South African gold mines were deeply divisive issues: “The honour of leading a great party was no doubt a worthy object of desire, but some would think that it might be too dearly purchased if it involved not merely the suppression of conviction, but the cold-blooded sacrifice of friends.” – Yours, etc,
MICHAEL AUSTIN,
Hazelwood,
Gorey,
Co Wexford.