Timing of referendum criticised

Opposition parties have renewed their criticism of Government plans to hold a citizenship referendum on the same day as the local government and European Parliament elections, claiming the move will fuel racism and xenophobia.

Speaking in Dublin yesterday at the publication of an anti-racism protocol for election candidates, representatives from Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the Greens and the Socialist Party called for the referendum to be postponed.

While the Government has signalled its preference for holding the referendum on June 11th, the same day as the elections, a spokesman for the Minister for Justice said: "A final decision has yet to be made."

In an unusual departure, however, Progressive Democrats Senator Mr Tom Morrissey claimed that the June 11th date had been set for the referendum "and I agree with it".

He declined to explain how he knew about the alleged Government decision, saying: "I am not aware other people were not aware of it."

Speaking at a cross-party signing of a protocol, which coincided with International Day Against Racism, Senator Morrissey said the subject of the referendum was "not a very convoluted issue", and postponing the poll would only add an unnecessary cost.

The Minister of State for Health, Mr Ivor Callely, also defended the notion of a single polling day, saying: "If people were to allow due, fair, open and transparent debate on the issues, I believe we could proceed without creating any racist tendencies whatsoever."

But Socialist Party TD Mr Joe Higgins said it would be "highly irresponsible" of the Government to "hijack" the election campaign with a referendum on citizenship. He said this would be "an opportunity for xenophobes and the ultra-right to raise their agenda based on division and hate rather than inclusion and participation."

The leader of the Green Party, Mr Trevor Sargent, also criticised the timing of the referendum, saying it was "very much likely to polarise and give rise to what needs to be challenged at every doorstep, which is urban legends [about ethnic minorities] not unlike the witch hunts of the Middle Ages."

Labour MEP Mr Proinsias De Rossa said a June 11th poll on the issue "would be seen as pandering to xenophobia".

Fine Gael Senator Ms Sheila Terry, who signed the protocol on behalf of her party, said the referendum should be deferred to allow time for reasonable debate.

Under the protocol, which was developed by the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, candidates agree to "send a consistent and clear message to their constituents that they reject racism", condemn any campaign materials or statements susceptible to incite hatred or express prejudice, guarantee that debate about minorities is conducted in a responsible way, and use "appropriate and inclusive language".

Parties further commit to ensuring their candidates and electioneers adhere to the principles and spirit of the protocol.

Mr Martin Collins, of the Travellers' group Pavee Point, said local election candidates who boasted about obstructing the provision of accommodation for Travellers in their localities should be held to account for breaches of the protocol.

"For candidates to say, as they have done, 'I've managed to keep Traveller accommodation out of this area', or 'I've reduced the number of bays on a site from 10 to five', that sort of language is informed by a racist analysis," he said.

Meanwhile, the Garda Síochána yesterday marked International Day Against Racism by inviting members of ethnic minorities to visit local Garda stations under an "open day" initiative.