Citizenship referendum to be held on elections day

The referendum to restrict citizenship rights will be held on the same day as the local and European elections in June, the Taoiseach has confirmed.

After being repeatedly pressed by the Opposition, Mr Ahern also confirmed the Cabinet had yesterday approved the legislation to allow the referendum to go ahead. He said there were a "few outstanding issues which the Minister for Justice and the Attorney General are completing", and the Dáil would resume a week early after Easter to debate the matter.

Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte who had earlier asked about the issue, angrily accused the Taoiseach of "playing ducks and drakes" with the Opposition. "I am sick and tired of the prevarication, ducking and weaving and dishonesty from the Taoiseach and the Minister, Deputy McDowell, on the issue. Are you taking the bloody Bill a week early or are you not" he asked.

When he first raised the matter, Mr Rabbitte had asked if the Taoiseach agreed with the Minister of State for Justice, Mr Willie O'Dea, that the referendum should be "de-coupled" from "an election environment". He also asked when would the Bill be published and come before the House. Mr Ahern said it would be published in the next few days and the Government would like to see if before the House "at an early date".

Later Mr Joe Higgins (Soc, Dublin West) asked if the Dáil would be back the week after next to deal with this or other legislation.

Mr Ahern said he would repeat what he had already stated that the Government would publish the Bill in the next few days and they would need to deal with the Bill, quickly "and probably the week after next". When Mr Higgins asked if the Taoiseach intended to hold the referendum on June 11th, Mr Ahern said that was the Government's intention.

Mr Higgins said it was "outrageous and irresponsible" and Mr Rabbitte said the Minister for Justice "clearly thinks this is a matter for smug satisfaction that a party which espouses republicanism in Killarney, is to utilise an election environment to stir up the type of antipathy we saw at the last election".

However, Mr Ahern stressed that "I don't accept that reasonable and practical constitutional and legislative proposals designed to bring the immigration and citizenship laws into line with our European partners can be termed difficult or racist. It is not."

He said it was not a "complex, difficult or divisive issue. This will only be the case if people purport to try to do that."