THE LISBON Treaty Referendum Bill was published yesterday but the Government has been criticised for refusing to name the date for the vote, despite calls to do so from supporters and opponents of the treaty. Stephen Collins, Political Editor, reports
Speaking at the launch of the Bill, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said the Government had not yet made a decision on the date of the referendum but he pointed to the fact that the Taoiseach had given a commitment that the Referendum Commission would be given in or around 90 days to do its work.
The commission was formally established yesterday under the chairmanship of High Court judge, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill, who was nominated to the position by the Chief Justice, John Murray.
A timeframe of 90 days for the commission would mean that the referendum would be held at the end of the first week of June.
However, a formal Government decision on the issue may not be taken until the Referendum Bill is passed by the Oireachtas in April.
The Government's reluctance to commit itself to a date has been criticised by Fine Gael and Labour, who support the campaign for a Yes vote, and by Sinn Féin, the only Dáil party campaigning for a No vote.
The refusal to name the date is widely regarded as a tactic to keep opponents of the treaty on the back foot, but it has begun to provoke disunity in the Yes camp, with prominent Opposition figures growing increasingly critical of the delay.
Announcing details of the 28th Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2008, Dermot Ahern said it was designed to enable the State to ratify the Lisbon Treaty while reaffirming the prohibition on Ireland's participation in a common EU defence policy.
He said the other main features of the Bill were to give additional powers to the Oireachtas to approve any future change in the EU decision-making process from unanimity to qualified majority voting and a provision to enable a review of Ireland's opt-out from police and judicial co-operation at EU level to take place after three years.
Meanwhile, the membership of the Referendum Commission was announced by the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.
Apart from the chairman, Mr Justice O'Neill, the other members are the Comptroller and Auditor General, John Purcell, the Ombudsman, Emily O'Reilly, the Clerk of the Dáil, Kieran Coughlan, and the Clerk of the Seanad, Deirdre Lane.
The main function of the commission will be to prepare a statement explaining the referendum proposal for distribution to voters in order to promote awareness and encourage people to vote.
The Fine Gael director of elections for the referendum, Gay Mitchell, welcomed the publication of the Bill but called for a full Dáil debate on all the issues.
"The Government must also stop dragging its heels and name the date for the referendum immediately," he said.
Joe Costello, Labour Party spokesman on European affairs, also welcomed the Bill but said that the sooner the date for the referendum was set the sooner the preparatory work on the campaign could really begin.
"It is imperative that the Oireachtas has ample time allocated for a comprehensive debate and that every deputy and Senator wishing to make a contribution can do so. The Irish Constitution enshrines the values of our people. The greatest care possible must be taken when amending it," he said.
Sinn Féin MEP Mary Lou McDonald accused the Government of avoiding naming the referendum date in order to stifle debate.
"It is clear at this stage that they are avoiding naming the date in order to delay the starting of the debate. They don't want to debate the facts in the treaty."
She also accused the Government of failing to make the text of the Lisbon Treaty available, saying it was a disgrace that it was not widely available so that people could make up their own minds.