Government may amend wording of referendum

The Government is not ruling out the possibility of amending its controversial proposed wording for the referendum to ratify …

The Government is not ruling out the possibility of amending its controversial proposed wording for the referendum to ratify the Amsterdam Treaty.The Cabinet will today consider the matter amid rising political unease and Opposition calls for the deletion or alteration of the clause which would allow the Government the option of implementing aspects of the treaty - or previous treaties - without referring back to the electorate.It is understood that the Government now takes the view that the referendum campaign should proceed with the backing of as many Dail parties as possible. Sources last night said the prospect of amending the wording was not ruled out.The 18th Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 1998, is due to be debated in the Dail tomorrow, but the Opposition has proposed that it be postponed.During discussions with the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, on the matter yesterday, the Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said his party would not be in a position to support the wording if it comes before the Dail in its present form. Labour is, however, in favour of ratifying the treaty.Legal advisers to Labour later said the clause covering options or discretions should be "dropped entirely". The party is particularly concerned about the possibility that the option clause could some day be used to allow for Ireland's entry to a European defence pact.It also argues that Justice and Home Affairs Ministers could draw up conventions on sensitive matters of common concern such as policing, drug-trafficking, immigration and other issues, "but these conventions would be immune from review by the courts", a Labour spokesman said.The Labour MEP, Mrs Bernie Malone, yesterday asked the Taoiseach to publish the Attorney General's advice on the Amsterdam Treaty referendum. She argued that a precedent for such action was set when a former attorney general, Mr Peter Sutherland, published advice on the abortion referendum.