The opposition has expressed grave concern about the implications for the Belfast Agreement of the Government's proposed constitutional referendum to restrict citizenship rights. Marie O'Halloran reports.
TDs also expressed concern about "racist bigotry" in the run-up to the European and local elections in June. And they criticised the Government for giving just 30 minutes' notice of an intention to publicly announce the referendum, which seeks to remove automatic citizenship rights of children born in Ireland whose parents are non-nationals.
However, during a short Dáil debate the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, stressed there would be "maximum consultation".
He said that, while the decision to hold the referendum was made on Tuesday, no date had been set for the plebiscite. He also insisted that the most significant part of the process was the secondary legislation, which would be enacted subsequently.
Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caolaín (Sinn Féin) claimed the referendum would have serious implications for the Belfast Agreement and would "unleash an untold tide of bigotry and racism".
He said the proposal, from the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, would "fuel the worst excesses within the Irish body politic", create inter-communal strife and turn every platform into a "tirade of bigotry and racism".
Mr John Gormley (Green Party) accused Mr McDowell of using the "race card" in the elections. He also said that a White Paper, proper consultation and hearings on the issue were needed.
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, warned that the Government's approach was "no way to do business on this sensitive matter", and it should have been dealt with through the all-party committee on the Constitution. Urging the Government not to proceed with its current proposal, he said there were serious questions about the implications in respect of the Good Friday agreement.
His party would conduct the debate in a rational, non-emotional and non-racist manner, but he pointed out that three weeks ago the Taoiseach had told him that the Government had no proposals to hold a referendum to change the Constitution. Yet his party was given half-an-hour's notice of the Government's intention to make a statement on the proposal on the 6 p.m. news on Wednesday.
Mr Smith said, however, that it was not unusual for the Taoiseach to say there had been no decisions and plans until such time as there were.
The Government's response would be as "fair and open as it can make it, so that the problem, which leaves Ireland in an exposed position relative to all its EU partners, can be addressed sensibly and remedied in a way in which there is as much unanimity as possible".
Labour's deputy leader, Ms Liz McManus, expressed grave concern about the Government's change in approach to citizenship since the Good Friday agreement.
She quoted the Taoiseach saying in 1998 that "in the event of Article 2 and 3 taking effect, no legislation will be promised by this Government to the Oireachtas which imposes restrictions on the entitlement to Irish nationality and citizenship of person born in Ireland".
Everybody understood that the issue needed to be dealt with, but a referendum was not necessarily the best way forward. The Government needed to have proper consultation with parties here and in the North, and political consideration needed to be given to ensuring there was no increase in racism.
The State needed to make a statement that the referendum would be "uncoupled" from the elections, because her party would not allow the matter to become a political football.
She added that no one should create any increase in racist attitudes, and the Government had a responsibility not to be opportunistic about this matter and not to endanger inter-community relationships".