IT WILL be about two weeks before it is known whether a referendum will be needed to be held in Ireland on the EU treaty text, according to Minister of State for European Affairs Lucinda Creighton.
“We won’t have advice from the Attorney General probably for a couple of weeks,” Ms Creighton said last night. “We have to agree the text first and she needs the opportunity to scrutinise it, analyse it and come to her own informed view.”
The Minister rejected Fianna Fáil claims the Government has had ongoing legal advice about the text of the treaty and knows whether a referendum is necessary. Ms Creighton said “that’s not true”. The Attorney General would give her opinion. “And we’ll wait and see what she says.”
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn highlighted the finding of the Danish constitutional court in relation to the Maastricht treaty, with which he had had involvement. He said the leading view in their court – the country voted twice in a referendum – was that “once you decide to share sovereignty with another body . . . you’ve ceded that particular point.
“After that it is up to the legislature to decide the mechanism and the manner” in which it would operate.
In a statement on today’s EU summit, the Taoiseach’s department said yesterday: “It is hoped that agreement will be reached on the final text of the intergovernmental treaty which will be an important addition to efforts to bring stability to the euro zone.
“Leaders will also have a focused discussion on immediate action to be taken in the specific areas of youth unemployment, the single market and SMEs.”
On the issue of whether a referendum should be held, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore said yesterday, during a visit to Israel: “The question of whether a referendum is required depends on the wording of the treaty and if it conforms with the Irish Constitution. The text of the treaty won’t be known until after Monday’s meeting and only then will the Attorney General give her opinion.”
However, Sinn Féin said that if the Government decided not to hold a referendum, the party would “actively consider” a legal challenge. The party’s foreign affairs spokesman Pádraig Mac Lochlainn said: “This weekend’s Sunday Business Post/RedC poll confirms that the overwhelming majority of the electorate support our view. A massive 72 per cent believe that a referendum is necessary. If the Government refuses to hold a referendum Sinn Féin will actively consider a legal challenge in order to ensure that the people have their say. When the final text of the treaty is available we will consult with our legal advisers to determine the best course of action,” he added.
United Left Alliance TD Richard Boyd Barrett also said the RedC opinion poll has indicated that a vast majority of people in this State want a referendum.
Fianna Fáil Senator Mark Daly urged his colleagues in Seanad Éireann to petition the President under article 27 of Bunreacht na hÉireann to hold a referendum if the Government blocked it.
Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has been accused of "timidity" and a failure to build alliances or bring forward an alternative agenda in his dealings with Ireland's European partners. The charge is made by Fianna Fáil leader and former minister for foreign affairs Micheál Martin in an article on today's EU summit for the Opinion page of The Irish Times.
Fiscal pact fails to address problems at root of crisis:
