Doherty calls on Noonan to debate treaty

Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty has challenged Minister for Finance Michael Noonan to debate him “face to face” on the fiscal treaty referendum.

Mr Doherty accused Taoiseach Enda Kenny of having “run away” from a TV3 debate with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and said he now wanted to debate with his Fine Gael counterpart.

“I ask Minister Noonan to come out and debate these issues. It’s very clear now that Enda Kenny has run away from the debates with our leader, the leader of the No campaign Gerry Adams,” he said.

“So it’s about time maybe the Minister for Finance came out and debated, and I challenge him to a debate, and let’s deal with these issues face to face, talking about the real pressures that people are under and talking about the real factors that are driving this economy into recession.”

Mr Doherty said Mr Noonan’s policies were making people’s lives worse.

Responding to Mr Noonan’s comments at an economic summit organised by Bloomberg in Dublin, Mr Doherty said the Minister was “very good at the soundbites” and pointed out that not very long ago he was talking about the economy “taking off like a rocket”.

Mr Doherty said the Minister was trying to convince the Irish people that “his austerity programme” was working but in reality was not.

Earlier, Mr Noonan said he did not want Ireland to be a “pavilion” member of the euro zone “where you are allowed drink in the bar but not play the course”.