Dáil sees heated scenes over citizenship vote

Fine Gael's foreign affairs spokesman Mr Gay Mitchell was told to leave the Dáil this morning as Opposition parties attacked the Government's handling of the citizenship referendum on June 11th.

In heated scenes, Mr Mitchell was told by the Cheann Comhairle to leave the House after he refused to resume his seat during leaders' questions, taken by the Tánaiste, Ms Harney.

Mr Mitchell was accusing the Government of misrepresenting figures relating to the number of non-national births in the State's maternity hospitals.

Mr Mitchell's party leader, Mr Enda Kenny, accused the Government of "debasing" the Constitution and "exploiting the immigration issue" by holding the referendum on the same day as local and European elections on June 11th.

Voters will be asked to empower the Government to restrict citizenship rights in what the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, described as a measure to remove an incentive for foreign mothers to give birth in Irish hospitals.

Mr Kenny said he recognised there was a "problem of non-national persons arriving here particularly in later pregnancy."

But, he said, the Taoiseach failed to mention the possibility of the referendum when answering questions in Dáil on February 17th. He called for consultation with all political parties "on the basis of good faith".

"Can you explain to house and country, what is the rush about holding this referendum on the eleventh of June?" Mr Kenny asked.

"Is it not perfectly obvious...that rushing to amend the Constitution of Ireland has lad to legal quagmires in the past," he added.

Ms Harney said the Government "are not rushing this".

"The Good Friday Agreement was signed into law and the referendum was held 42 days later on the island of Ireland. It is 65 days to the 11 of June," Ms Harney said.

"The Minister for Justice will hold further discussion today with all parties in the House if they are available."

She said the referendum would "plug the loop-hole that exists" in Irish law which was necessary "as quickly as possible."

"It is an appropriate time to put this matter to the people and we will let the people decide," she added.

"We are usually criticised by the Opposition for not acting in a hasty manner... I find it hard to understand why he [Mr Kenny] is simply opposed to the timing of the eleventh of June."

Labour Party leader Mr Pat Rabbitee said it the Government was "exploiting the immigration issue" by holding the vote on June 11th.

"From the very beginning the handling of the issue has been dishonest and underhand," he said.

He said the only consultation he received from the Coalition on the issue was while "having coffee in the members bar" of the Dáil

Ms Harney responded by saying it was "not the case that it came as a great surprise"

"The Minister for Justice discussed this with you [Mr Rabbitte] months ago".