Fiscal treaty legislation passed

The Dáil has passed legislation allowing the referendum on the fiscal compact treaty to take place on May 31st.

TDs accepted the 30th Amendment to the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill, by 93 to 21 votes.

Independent TDs Shane Ross, Stephen Donnelly and Michael Healy-Rae voted with the Government on the treaty.

On the final day of the debate today, Clare TD Timmy Dooley who has been appointed Fianna Fáil’s director of elections for the campaign warned that pro-European parties supporting the treaty “must desist from engaging in political sniping on this issue”.

Criticising Minister for Justice Alan Shatter and Minister of State Lucinda Creighton for politically partisan comments, Mr Dooley said “such contributions just infuriate Fianna Fáil members who are working to ensure we get our supporters out to vote in favour of the treaty”.

He said it would be “helpful if those Ministers who tend to put their feet in their mouths when speaking on various issues” said little about the treaty in the next six weeks and “leave their foot in their mouth”.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghin Ó Caoláin, whose party rejects the treaty and opposes the Bill, noted the recent Easter 1916 commemorations and the reading of the Proclamation.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD said the Government was asking the people to approve a treaty that “flies in the face of the 1916 Proclamation” and its declaration of “the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible”.

He said it was a treaty that “will surrender control of Irish destinies and fetter this and future elected governments, tying them to the failed economics of austerity”.

The people “would have expected such a surrender from the last Government. It reeks of the dying days of the Fianna Fáil regime”.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said “those who claim this treaty is about austerity are plain wrong”.

He reiterated it ”is about managing our debt, managing it in such a way that over time taxpayers’ money goes not into servicing debts but more and more into public services and targeted growth initiatives to create jobs”.