People’s rights - Issues must be decided by referenda

It would be extreme folly — and politically very dangerous — for the right of the people to decide by referendum to be transferred to the Oireachtas.

That would seem to be the intention of the Government in advocating in the referendum on the EU Constitution to give it the freedom to accede in the future to a wide range of such changes, so long as they are approved by the Oireachtas.

That approval could be exceptionally selective, as the Government has demonstrated in this instance by only briefing Fine Gael and the Labour Party on what it proposes. Deciding an issue by referendum is a fundamental right of the people which under no circumstances should be surrendered.