Sir, - Reading Dr Garret FitzGerald's article (June 13th) one would get the impression that there was widespread demand for changing our present electoral system. However, the opposite is the case. The people who are advocating a change in the electoral system are the politicians. Within the last 40 years, the electors have twice rejected their proposals.
The case for change in the present system has not yet been made. Dr FitzGerald's statement that "the real weakness of our parliamentary system is this dual mandate at Council and Dail levels" is hardly a convincing argument for abandoning multi-seat constituencies. Surely a much simpler solution would be to pass a law prohibiting members of the Dail from being members of County Councils.
The Additional Member System advocated by Dr FitzGerald means that 50 per cent of the Dail would never have gone before the people in an election. They would have been selected (and their place on the list decided) by the respective party leaders. (It reminds me of the College of Cardinals!).
Worse than this, as the majority of single seats would invariably be won by Fianna Fail, then effectively those "Constituency TD's" would be chosen by the selection convention of Fianna Fail. In reality, only a small minority of deputies would be genuinely elected by the voters, as distinct from the party organisations.
Do Irish voters really want this restriction on their freedom of choice? I very much doubt it. The real virtue of our multi-seat form of proportional representation - apart from its fairness - is the choice given to the electorate: not only do you have a choice between parties, but you have a choice between different people from your party. Why would one want to give up this tremendous freedom of choice?
The real weakness in the present system of election is that the fate of Governments can rest in the hands of a few representatives of tiny pressure groups (roads in South Kerry, Roscommon Hospital, TV deflectors etc.), I would suggest that this is not as it should be. Some of this could be overcome by having smaller constituencies.
An alternative solution is to recognise political parties in the constitution and not allow any TDs take their seat unless their party got two per cent of the national vote.
Recognising that many of these colourful independents can add to public life, there should be a place for them in the Seanad. If we are going to have electoral reform, perhaps we should start with the Seanad, by having: (a) it elected on the same day as the Dail, by popular mandate; (b) large constituencies to encourage independents to stand.
In this way, we might get more Feargal Quinns into the senate. At the moment, such individuals can only get there from elitist constituencies such as the universities. - Yours, etc., K. Norton,
Ardilea,
Dublin 14.