We cannot afford global election of senators

John O’Callaghan is right when he tells us that the electorate ‘made a grave mistake’ in retaining the Seanad (Letters, October 12). The fact is that the Seanad is irrelevant and unaffordable in this recently bankrupt country.

Despite having too many politicians relative to our population, both media and academia conducted a very effective campaign against the abolition of the Seanad in the recent referendum. They did the ordinary people of this over-borrowed country a disservice by succeeding in maintaining the Seanad as an expensive talking shop for the insider elite and their cronies.

In addition among the ludicrous ‘reforms’ being put forward for the Seanad is one that gives all citizens of the State and Northern Ireland and all Irish passport holders worldwide a right to directly elect Senators.