TWO SENIOR Ministers have stated publicly that they would prefer the referendum on the fiscal treaty to be held before the summer.
Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton and Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney have separately said that the optimum timing for the vote would be before the Oireachtas goes into recess in July.
Both Ministers are on visits abroad as part of the Government’s St Patrick’s Day schedule.
They also hinted strongly that there was general consensus within the Government that an earlier referendum was best, as opposed to an October or November vote.
Speaking in New York yesterday, Ms Burton said that there were “two windows” as she saw it: a period in late May or early June; or, secondly, a period in late June or early July.
“The Government is obviously anxious to avoid having a referendum during the period when the Leaving Cert starts, the football is on and the Eucharistic Congress is on. Obviously, the referendum doesn’t have to be held until late October at the latest. But I think there is a general agreement that it would be better to do it in the early summer and those two possible time frames.”
Mr Coveney, speaking in Brussels, said the referendum was likely to take place by the end of June, adding that he wanted the Government to move ahead quickly with the campaign.
“I think people are discussing this issue now. We should have a proper debate now and hopefully vote sometime between the end of May and the end of June,” he said. “It’s obviously up to the Government to get the practicalities right there in terms of legislation – in terms of information flow that needs to happen – but that’s the kind of timescale I’d say we’re talking about.”
He said his preference was to conduct the vote before the European Championship soccer finals. But the decision was for the Cabinet to make.
“Certainly, I hope this is not going to be used as an excuse to kick the Government for other issues that people might be concerned about. It’s a massively important issue in its own right. I think the consequences for Ireland of a No vote will probably not be understood until we come out of our bailout programme.”
On the timing of the vote, Mr Coveney said most people inside and outside Government accepted it would happen by midsummer. “The question is just trying to get the right date,” said the Minister.
The European Championships in Poland and the Ukraine begins on June 8th.
Up until the beginning of this month, some senior Cabinet members, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, had still not ruled out an autumn referendum. But privately, there is a growing sense the vote will be held sometime in June.
