May day vote to trigger divisive political battle

Late May was emerging as the most likely date for the EU fiscal union referendum last night.

The vote, which is expected to trigger a highly divisive political battle, must be held within 90 days of the Dáil deciding to put the question before the electorate.

The treaty creating closer financial union will be signed by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and other EU leaders in Brussels on Friday.

A bill to implement the referendum, and a separate one to enact legislation if the constitutional amendment is passed, will then be presented to the Oireachtas within the coming few weeks.

A Referendum Commission will also be set up “shortly”, according to Mr Kenny’s spokesperson.

It is expected that the delayed referendum on children’s rights will not be held on the same day as the EU vote, due to the complexity of both issues.

The children’s referendum is likely to be held in October and will be a stand-alone campaign.

The Government was in contact with foreign leaders regarding the referendum decision, but Mr Kenny’s spokesperson was unable to say whether this occurred before the Dáil was informed of the move at 3pm.

Investigations into why the electorate narrowly rejected the first Lisbon Treaty referendum in June 2008 found that voters objected to the short nature of the campaign and felt that the issues involved had not been adequately explained to them in that time frame.

A second referendum on the question was then held and passed by a two-thirds majority.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore ruled out the possibility of a second referendum being held if the EU fiscal union move is voted down.

Germany’s minister for European affairs, Michael Link, confirmed that EU negotiators tried to design the fiscal compact in such a way to avoid a national poll being held in Ireland.

Finance Minster Michael Noonan has said that such a referendum would effectively be a vote on whether Ireland stays in the eurozone or not.