Sir, – Tomás Heneghan (Letters, February 23rd) advocates extending the Seanad franchise to all graduates of higher education in Ireland. He then says this would reflect the very basic principle of modern democracy: one person, one vote.
Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands would remain excluded, in particular elderly and rural voters who did not have opportunities to attend college, those who attended college in other countries (especially immigrants) but most egregiously, those who simply did not attend college at all.
We also know that college attendance is influenced enormously by financial opportunity. Those with the financial means to attend college but who did not attend should also not be excluded.
It is simply undemocratic and indefensible.
Eight years ago, I predicted that the newfound appetite for Seanad reform was a ruse. Once its abolition was defeated, those who promised democratic reform returned to their slumber. Perhaps another referendum will allow us to vote on whether the promised reform was genuine. – Yours, etc,
TOM NEVILLE,
Leopardstown,
Co Dublin.