Date set for fiscal treaty referendum

The Government has given itself two months to get the fiscal compact treaty passed after announcing that the referendum will take place on Thursday, May 31.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore announced the date in the Dáil yesterday and said lessons had been learned from last year, when the Government held two referenda in tandem with the presidential election.

On that occasion, one of those referenda — involving a proposal to give Oireachtas inquiries greater powers — crashed to defeat.