We must never condone politics without principles

FOR the duration of her 14 years as a member of the Oireachtas, former government minister Mary Hanafin vigorously defended her decision to remain on “Oireachtas leave” from her teaching post, saying she would return to teaching in the event of losing her Dáil seat.

Now that Ms Hanafin has been rejected by the electorate of Dún Laoghaire and has furthermore indicated her intention not to run for Seanad Éireann, can we take it that she will be back in the classroom again soon?

Remaining on teachers’ “Oireachtas leave” ensures that TDs can retain their “fall back career”, while their teachers pension entitlements continue to accrue regardless of how long they are absent from the classroom.