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Last Updated: Aug 27, 2008 - 11:08:35 AM |
"Nothing whatsoever has been decided vis-a-vis the next step, because
we're only in the process of analysis at this stage," the Irish Times
quotes an unnamed government spokesperson as saying.
"People who are saying 'another referendum or legislation,' they are
all jumping ahead to an outcome, and the government isn't anywhere near
that."
Meanwhile, the UK's Financial Times reports that Irish government
officials have privately conceded that any second referendum, should
one take place, would not occur before next year's European
Parliamentary elections, but rather in the second half of 2009.
The government clarification comes after a storm of criticism attacking
Mr Roche's comments from campaigners for both the Yes and No sides in
the failed June referendum as well as all main opposition parties.
Irish Europe minister Dick Roche had told the Irish Independent
newspaper earlier this week: "A referendum is the appropriate response
to the position we are in", while stressing that it was his "personal
view at this stage."
"The government has made it clear that no option has been ruled in or
out. We cannot exclude that at some stage and in the right
circumstances it may be necessary to consult the people once again."
In response, the Labour Party's deputy leader, Joan Burton, described
the minister's comments as "unwise and unhelpful," adding: "There can
be no question of simply putting the same proposition to the people
once again."
"There is no basis for believing that a second referendum would produce
a different outcome to the one we got on 12 June," she said, saying the
government should not be "threatening to ram another referendum down
people's throats".
Leading opposition party Fine Gael's European affairs spokesperson,
Lucinda Creighton, said Mr Roche's remarks showed the government had
"learnt nothing from its disastrous referendum campaign."
Meanwhile, her colleague, MEP Gay Mitchell said of the minister: "I
think he is jumping the gun. I don't think it's helpful ... I don't
think it's helpful to be coming out in the month of August with
proposals or solutions one way or the other."
According to the Irish Independent newspaper, both Ms Burton and Sinn
Fein's Mary Lou McDonald believe the government was using Mr Roche's
comments as a trial balloon in order to see what the popular response
to a second referendum would be.
Ms McDonald said the move displayed "another example of a government
without a plan."
Source:Ocnus.net 2008
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