FF whip: Fiscal Compact does not go far enough

The Fianna Fáil whip and Foreign Affairs spokesman Seán O'Fearghaíl has re-iterated the party's position over the referendum on the Fiscal Compact Treaty.

It comes amid fears of a split in the leadership of Fianna Fáil that could come to a head over the referendum.

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

Mr O'Fearghaíl said: "We will vote in favour of the Treaty as a step towards facing up to the fundamental challenges facing the Eurozone.

"However, we believe that it does not go far enough and that the ECB's role needs to be reformed," he added.

Within minutes of the Taoiseach's announcement yesterday, Micheál Martin was declaring his party would be campaigning for a Yes vote.

But by this morning his Deputy leader was raising questions about whether he would toe the party line.

After initially raising questions on TG4 last night, Éamon O'Cuív told Radio na Gaeltachta that as far as he was concerned the party had not reached a conclusion on discussing the issue.

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

It is not the first time Éamon O'Cuív has refused to tow the party line - as a junior minister he admitted he had voted against the first Nice referendum.

It is further evidence of the frosty relationship between Mr Ó'Cuív and Mr Martin over the future direction of Fianna Fáil.

Elsewhere, The President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso has said ratification of the EU fiscal treaty is very much in Ireland's interest.

However speaking in Brussels, he refused to say if a yes vote in the referendum would make it easier for the Government to get a discount on Ireland's banking debt.

In the Dáil, the Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said the referendum on the EU fiscal treaty will be held on its own.