Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an ráiteas seo. Táim an-sásta gur tháinig an Taoiseach agus an Tánaiste go dtí an Dáil agus go ndearna siad an ráiteas anseo. Is maith an rud é sin. Táim ag éirí beagáinín dóchasach go mbíonn siad ag éisteacht liomsa agus le Sinn Féin uaireanta ar an ábhar sin. I welcome the announcement and the fact that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have come to the Chamber to make it. That is unusual but it gives us hope that the Government occasionally listens to Sinn Féin on these matters.

While I welcome the announcement, I believe it marks another failure by the Government. It tried to avoid a referendum, as the Tánaiste acknowledged, but it is good that there will now be one because the people will now have a say. Since the first drafts of the treaty were leaked to the public - last December, I believe - Sinn Féin has argued there is a democratic imperative to have a referendum. I am glad there is a clear legal case. The value of a referendum is primarily that the people will have their say on a matter of profound and long-lasting importance.

The question is whether the Government will accept the outcome. Are we to have the usual rerun or replay? Will the Government phrase the question in such a way as to allow the people to have an informed debate as opposed to being subject to the bullying tactics used in the past? If the Government has identified the phrasing, will it remind me of what it is? It is equally important that the campaign be informed and informative and that the details of the treaty and its implications for the people of this State and the island be discussed fully and debated.

We welcome the announcement. Let us be clear, however, that the treaty is an austerity treaty that will not help to regenerate the economy. On the contrary, it will condemn the people, particularly those on lower and middle incomes, to endure the Government's terrible policy of austerity. It is little wonder that Fianna Fáil supports this. Fianna Fáil, Labour and Fine Gael formed a consensus for cuts and we will see that replayed again. The Taoiseach has declared he wants to be able to take economic power back into this State - that is, whatever little economic power remains - yet here he is in a treaty taking what limited fiscal power is in the Oireachtas and giving it to unelected, undemocratic officials in Brussels.

Let us have a good, informed debate. Let us also ensure that the citizenry who have now had their rights restored to them - something which this Government tried to avoid - will be able to take a decision which binds the Government so it cannot ignore their wishes. Sinn Féin is clearly against this treaty from what we have heard of it. We wait to see the question that will be put. We are against austerity and do not think it is fair, right or proper that working people should have to pay the penalty of bad Government, or that this has to happen in order to pay off the Government's cronies in the ciorcal órga - the big bankers, bondholders and all the rest.

I thank the Taoiseach and Tánaiste for this announcement.

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