Fresh start turns to false dawn

The Government must stop spinning and show steel in overhauling how Irish politics works, writes Micheál Martin TD

ON JULY 1st 1937 the Irish people enacted Bunreacht na hÉireann. Across Europe, Fascist and Communist governments dominated the political landscape in a dark era for European history. Yet in those bleak days, under the leadership of Éamon de Valera and with the support of a skilled team of civil servants, Ireland created an enduring document founded on the best traditions of liberal democratic government and the assertion of Irish independence. It was a remarkable achievement that has provided the Irish people with a rock of stability that was ahead of its time in 1937.

In 2012, Ireland faces new social challenges and we cannot shy away from fundamental reform.