Rónán Mullen (Independent)

One question is whether the provisions of our Constitution require a referendum to permit participation in such a treaty. There is another argument for holding a referendum, namely, democratic legitimacy. This morning, the Technical Group in the Lower House indicated its intention to avail of Article 27 of Bunreacht na hÉireann if the Government did not seek to proceed via referendum. Under that Article, the support of a third of Deputies and more than half of Senators is required to petition Uachtarán na hÉireann to put the matter to the people. It will be for Uachtarán na hÉireann to take counsel from the Council of State.

Referendums and decisions of this kind can be viewed in two ways. I disagree with my good friend, Senator Bradford, in this respect. We can take the view that we should have government by elites and that the important factor is to get the result. If that means admitting the people to the decision as little as possible, so be it. This is a dangerous road to take at a time when something of that nature seems to have occurred in Greece and Italy, given the change in governments there. The other route is to involve people, to have a definite opinion ourselves and to seek to educate public opinion as we go. The Irish people would understand that accepting and rejecting the treaty would each have difficult consequences and that this decision cannot be subjected to a populist anti-Government impulse concerning unrelated issues. Too much is at stake.