Sir, – It is upsetting to see the issue of the mandatory religious oath for office has not warranted redress in the referendums put forward. The disrespect that constitutional requirement manifests has again been overlooked. It is grossly insulting to the non-religious community to rule that they are not fit for high legal office as a consequence of their lack of belief. I note that the date proposed for some of the referendums is to be that of the presidential election also. The office of president of our republic is ironically one of those from which our community is barred by the existing constitutional clause. The perpetuation this unjust religious discrimination in our Constitution must have escaped the attention of our legislators as one assumes they would have proposed eliminating it. It is not too late I believe, and hope, for them to take this on board and rectify their oversight and it would be thoroughly appropriate to put it to the people at the time of the presidential election. – Yours, etc,
DICK SPICER,
Bray,
Co Wicklow.