Election in France will have no bearing on poll date, says minister

MINISTER FOR Agriculture Simon Coveney said the presidential election in France will have no bearing on the timing of Ireland’s fiscal treaty referendum.

Socialist frontrunner François Hollande has pledged to renegotiate the treaty if he wins the presidency, an assertion greeted with scepticism in European circles. His stance has led to speculation that Dublin might postpone the treaty vote until all matters arising from the French election are settled.

Mr Coveney ruled that out, however, and dismissed the notion that the Government might face the prospect of a second referendum on a treaty reworked at Mr Hollande’s behest. “We can’t be planning on what might happen in France,” he said in Brussels.

“We are going to press ahead with a date that suits the Irish people for a referendum. We’re not going to have to ask the Irish people twice. I don’t see how the French can bring in a new treaty on their own.”

The Minister made the case that Mr Hollande was in the middle of an election campaign. “He is trying to gain political support, and what he says as part of that campaign is an issue for him,” he said. “From our perspective we have a referendum to hold, we have as a Government already signalled that we want this treaty to pass and be ratified and that’s the position,” he added.

“We’ll hold a referendum when we think the most appropriate time to hold it is for the Irish people, not for the French people. That’s what will colour our view as opposed to anything that happens in France.”

Mr Coveney expects that the Cabinet will decide on the referendum date within a fortnight. While declining to pinpoint when the vote would take place, he kept to his weekend forecast of a summer vote.

“What I said was I expect the referendum will be held before the Dáil breaks up for the summer and I still think that’s likely, but it’s a Government decision,” he said.

“We need to put in place obviously the legislation that’s required first and then we need to plan for a referendum but I don’t think we’ll be hanging around too long on that.”