Government Senators back David Norris’s call for withdrawal of referendum posters

A demand by David Norris (Ind) that Fine Gael withdraw its Seanad referendum poster was supported by Government Senators. Mr Norris said the poster, suggesting that abolishing the Seanad would save €20 million, should be withdrawn immediately. "The poster is a lie and there is no doubt about that," he said.

He said the Government’s behaviour was disgraceful. “Take it down from the masthead, Fenian traitors.’’

Susan O'Keeffe (Lab) said she supported the call to acting House leader Ivana Bacik (Lab) to seek some clarification or removal of the posters.

Ms Bacik said she wanted to emphasise the posters were circulated by Fine Gael. She was happy, she said, to write to the Fine Gael general secretary, Tom Curran, to request they be withdrawn because the €20 million figure had been disputed, challenged and contested.

Ms Bacik said the most objectionable aspect of the Fine Gael posters was the reference to “fewer politicians’’, which undermined people’s trust in democracy.