Question the office as much as the minister

Dear Editor, In her opinion piece of October 20, Mary Kenny asks whether Katherine Zappone is fit for the job. While it is legitimate to question her competency for the office, I think in fairness one should question the office itself as fulfilled by her and her predecessors.

After all, the education of children is managed by the Minister for Education, their health by the Minister for that Department and their funding such as it is by the Minister for Social Welfare. 

So what exactly does she do and should not her salary be nil. The saving might not be much in the general scheme of things but it would be better donated to the stay at home mothers.

It may be worth mentioning Article 41.2.2 of the Constitution which provides that “mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labouring to the neglect of children in the home”.

Subject to what is meant by “labouring”, it rather looks as if elements of the budget which presumably might fall within the Minister’s competency were in fact unconstitutional. So again I ask what is she paid for? 

Yours etc.,

Gerald Murphy,

Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.