A chara, – Colum Kenny (April 14th) wonders why the Government is holding a referendum on the age for presidential candidates, but the issue is being pretty much ignored by politicians and the media, seems to be of little interest to the general public, and a prominent politician is calling it "silly". For an answer, I refer him to this paper's editorial of March 27th. This argues that the presidential-age referendum is effectively a "sacrificial lamb", one that the Government doesn't mind losing should the electorate want to give it a hiding at the ballot box; in other words, a lightning rod to channel the ire of those who might use their vote as an opportunity to punish the Government away from the referendum they care about, that on same-sex marriage.
It might seem a tad cynical, but that’s politics for you. In any event, no doubt we’ll get a chance to vote on this issue again some time in the future, as we have in the past when the public gave the “wrong” result at a referendum; as, indeed, I note is already being mooted in relation to the other “other referendum” (“Q&A: The same-sex marriage referendum”, April 13th). – Is mise,
Rev PATRICK G BURKE,
Castlecomer,
Co Kilkenny.