O Cuív may swim against party tide on referendum vote

There are fears of a split in the leadership of Fianna Fáil that could come to a head over the referendum on the Fiscal Compact Treaty.

Party leader Micheál Martin has been adamant the party will campaign for a 'yes' vote, but deputy leader, Éamon O Cuív has indicated he may go against it.

After initially raising concerns on TG4 last night, Deputy O Cuív today told Raidió na Gaeltachta that as far as he was concerned, the party had not reached a conclusion on discussing the issue.

He said that each member of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party must seriously consider if it is the correct decision to back the referendum.

It is not the first time Deputy O Cuív has refused to toe the party line, having admitted he voted against the Nice referendum as a junior minister.

Analysts say it is also further evidence of the frosty relationship between Deputies Ó' Cuív and Martin, who are seen as being at odds on the future direction of Fianna Fáil.