No public funds for bail referendum

PUBLIC money will not be used to fund the bail referendum campaign, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, announced yesterday.

He was confirming that the Supreme Court judgment in the McKenna case, which ruled that Government funding of one side of the divorce campaign was an interference in the democratic process, would be respected in the forthcoming referendum.

Mr Bruton said the Government would fulfil a public information function during the bail referendum campaign.

Press conferences and answering questions raised would be an important aspect of it.

Meanwhile, it is understood that individual Coalition parties will carry the cost of the bail campaign.

Mr Bruton said yesterday that Fine Gael would be deciding its budget in the next week.

The Fine Gael TD, Mr Charles Flanagan, is to be the party's director of campaign for the referendum on November 28th.