EU voting reform

Myles Duffy (Letters, Feb 2) is quite correct to point out that if the voice of the people is to be heard with regards to the EU.

I fully agree that the European Assembly Election Act 1984 be urgently amended so as to prescribe that when an MEP retires, or dies, the seat be filled by the person who got the next highest vote in the election for that seat.

I would go further and say that whenever a person is elected by the people to the Oireachtas or European Parliament they must serve, unless unable to do so, the full term. There should be no question of a sitting Oireachtas member standing for the European Parliament or vice versa as this, along with the list system, allows the political parties to abuse both bodies just as they have abused the Seanad.