TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny has rejected a call from Fianna Fáil for a referendum on the treaty to protect the euro regardless of whether one is required by the Constitution.
In a Christmas interview with political correspondents, Mr Kenny dismissed comments by Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin who said it would be appalling if a referendum on the treaty was not held one way or another.
“Micheál says lots of things are appalling and he seems to have moved away from the point of view where he’s going to have very constructive opposition to outright outrage and hysteria. That’s his political choice,” said Mr Kenny.
The Taoiseach said the Government would wait and see what the text of the treaty contained and how best it could be ratified after receiving the formal legal advice of the Attorney General.
“The only time you hold a referendum is when you want to change the Constitution. So if the Attorney General’s legal advice formally to the Government says that this agreement and the text that is being signed off on requires a referendum, then one will be held.”
Pressed on whether there was an argument for holding a referendum even if it was not strictly required, Mr Kenny added: “You don’t go holding a referendum unless you have to and clearly the advice of the Attorney General is what the Government will act on as we’ve always done.”
The Taoiseach said he was going to set up a referendum commission early in the new year because there were two referendums in the pipeline and others might follow a constitutional convention. He said he wanted to brief Opposition leaders on the structure of the constitutional convention because it was important that it would work properly.
“The constitutional convention will set out a range of matters that we would consider like the presidency, the voting age, gay marriage . . . a whole list of areas that have been well published. The intention would be that a constitution day would be held within 12 months of a constitutional convention actually being set up.”
The Taoiseach added, however, that the Government was committed to two referendums separate from the convention. They relate to the abolition of the Seanad and children’s rights.
He said that the Attorney General was looking at the question of a wording for the children’s rights amendment, and that the abolition of the Seanad was a complex issue as it was mentioned extensively in the Constitution. “What you need to be able to do is to take the issues that are citizens’ rights through the Seanad and be able to transfer those by way of a Dáil reform programme. So that if the people do decide to abolish the Seanad, that there’ll be nothing lost that’s currently in the Seanad.”
Mr Kenny said he also needed to reflect on the question of holding different referendums on the one day. “Clearly on the last occasion there was some confusion because of the shortness of time. That’s one of the reasons I want to set up the referendum commission. I’ll be able to reflect more clearly on these things. There’s a need for a political discussion about this as to what to do.”