SF may test €85bn bailout in the courts

THE EU and IMF €85 billion bailout agreement could be challenged in court by Sinn Féin, who believe it is unconstitutional to agree to the terms of a deal without a Dáil vote.

The party announced it was seeking legal advice on whether it can take a constitutional challenge to force a Dáil vote on the agreement, but said it will wait to see the details of the deal before making a final decision.

The party made the announcement as it welcomed its newest TD, Pearse Doherty, to the Dáil where he yesterday took the seat won in last week’s Donegal South West by-election.

Mr Doherty said he was given a “clear mandate” to “oppose IMF interference in Ireland” and “the anti-people savage budget that this Government is planning”.

His victory, with 13,700 first preference votes was a “clear message” that the people had “called time on the Government”, he said.

The party said it was “confident” that it can now form a “technical group” with two independent TDs, Maureen Sullivan and Finian McGrath, which would give them more Dáil speaking opportunities.

But it will not impose any terms on the deal which would force the independents to vote with them in a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach.

Sinn Féin Dáil leader, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, said the prospect of bringing such a no confidence vote was “in question” and he has written to the leaders of both Fine Gael and the Labour Party asking them to table the Sinn Féin motion.

Mr Ó Caoláin said the bailout deal agreed between the Government and the EU/IMF team over the weekend must come before the Dáil.

“The Constitution is very clear: It says: ‘Every international agreement to which the state becomes a party shall be laid before Dáil Éireann. The state shall not be bound by any international agreement, involving a charge on public funds, unless the terms of the agreement shall have been approved by Dáil Eireann,” he said.

Party leader Gerry Adams, who will seek a seat in the Louth constituency in the next election, said: “Any new government should refuse to honour the terms of the IMF/EU deal and Sinn Féin will seek a mandate in the general election to renegotiate it.”

While yesterday was his first day in the Dáil, Mr Doherty will have to face the electorate once again in the coming months. With a general election expected in March at the latest, he could serve just four months, falling short of the six months required for a TD to claim an Oireachtas pension or lump sum termination payments.