Dáil adjourns ahead of referendum

The Dáil had its last discussion this morning on the fiscal treaty before the referendum takes place next Thursday.

The House will not sit next week to allow TDs engage in final canvassing on the fiscal treaty.

It returns on Wednesday week, after the June bank holiday weekend.

Reiterating there would be no changes to the treaty, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said the meeting of EU leaders brought forward a number of proposals that would be worked on for the next EU meeting, aimed at stimulating growth and job creation.

"What is being voted on, on this day week is exactly the treaty that has been signed and there are no changes in that treaty nor will there be," he said.

Fianna Fáil's Barry Cowen said "there can be no doubt now that the stability treaty will not be changed".

Taking leaders' questions in the absence of party leader Micheál Martin, Mr Cowen said "the commitment to growth initiatives are long overdue and we look forward to June's summit in this regard". He reiterated Fianna Fáil's commitment to a Yes vote.

Sinn Fein's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked if Government argued for any changes or did it "just accept meekly" there would be no changes.

He said it was a treaty text that would "enshrine harsh fiscal rules in international law and which we are being asked to give constitutional protection".

Mr Ó Caoláin said the treaty was a "carefully crafted German engineered text" and it had only one gear.

"There is no reverse, the steering is locked. It can't turn right. It can't turn left. We're heading straight for whatever lies ahead within its consequences."

Mr Gilmore said the Government had to ensure there was certainty around the currency. There had been a lot of volatility. "It's not in the interests of the people of this country that that volatility continues. The euro has to settle down."

That stability was necessary in order to underpin investment confidence. The passing of the treaty would provide that confidence for investors, he said.

Both United Left Alliance TDs Joe Higgins and Richard Boyd Barrett objected to the Dáil adjournment because the House would not have the opportunity to debate the outcome of the European council meeting before the referendum.

Mr Gilmore said there would be plenty of time for discussion about the meeting's proposals because they would go back to the June meeting.  He said the proposals at the meeting were across three pillars – mobilising EU policies to fully support growth, stepping up efforts to finance the European economy and strengthening job creation.