Office of Presidency should be scrapped along with the Seanad

THE Senate was abolished before and it was a great pity that it was brought back, because the present Seanad has only been a drain on resources. It could have been reformed to provide a useful purpose any time in the last 70 years, but now it is too late.

We should have the referendum to abolish it in conjunction with the next general election, rather than waiting to elect a new Seanad so that it could help to abolish itself. This is no time for expensive obsequies.

We should scrap the office of President as well. After independence in 1922 the British king was still technically the head of state. To ensure a greater degree of independence, the Free State Government nominated Tim Healy as Governor-General, and the king appointed him on the advice of the Government.