Kenny shrugs off referendum question

TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny was non-committal when asked if the Government was committed to holding a referendum on treaty change to resolve the euro crisis.

Asked by Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams to “take the opportunity to outline your opposition to any further loss of Irish fiscal powers”, Mr Kenny said there would be a debate next week after Friday’s EU council meeting at which the discussion document from council president Herman Van Rompuy would be discussed.

Mr Kenny said there was a discussion in the Dáil last week on the EU council meeting and it would not be possible to have another debate before the meeting.

He told the Dáil he had not yet seen Mr Van Rompuy’s paper which was due to be circulated yesterday. He said however that it was “obvious the 27 member states and 17 members of the euro zone will have a range of views” about the proposal of the German chancellors and French president.

Mr Adams said he was not looking for a debate. “I simply note the Taoiseach avoided the question”. He asked if Mr Kenny would share the Van Rompuy paper with the Opposition but Mr Kenny said he had not seen it.

When he said he did not know whether the paper had been circulated, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said “of course he knows”. He added that “the Taoiseach should know what’s in the paper”.