Day 22: The Fiscal Treaty

Sinn Féin calls on the Taoiseach to debate on Television or Radio. Labour's Joan Burton asks what does Sinn Féin not understand about the Treaty? Simon Covney says Sinn Féin are lying about access to the ESM. Richard Boyd Barrett ask the government to stop the Bullying and Dishonesty.

Sinn Féin call on a debate between the YES and NO leaders. Padraig Mac Lochlainn called on Enda Kenny to debate on national TV or Radio over the last few days of the Fiscal Treaty Referendum Campaign. Mac Lochlainn said " I genuinely believe that a live televised debate between An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams is in the best interests of the campaign and the voters."

Fine Gael have reiterated that Sinn Féin are misleading the people on access to ESM (European Stablity Fund). Simon Coveney asked Sinn Féin to be honest with voters saying "The Referendum Commission has clearly stated that the granting of financial assistance from the Emergency Stability Fund (ESM) will be conditional on the ratification of the Stability Treaty."

Richard Boyd Barrett TD has also asked for honesty today but from the Government and the yes side. He said "Government bullying and dishonesty is reaching ridiculous" levels. He told voters "The dishonesty of the government when it comes to the ESM is equally disgraceful and is again designed to bully and mislead the public. The government is presenting the ESM as some sort of benevolent fund that we desperately need to have access to. In reality, the ESM is yet another mechanism to bail out the European financial system and ram further austerity down the throats of countries that are forced to engage with it. It is also a monstrously undemocratic and unaccountable structure which will have huge power over the states it lends to but will be completely immune from legal or political oversight. Far from being a reason to vote for the Fiscal treaty, it is one of the best reasons to vote against it."

Labour Minister Joan Burton has asked what part of the Treaty does Sinn Féin not understand? She points to their foolishness in the idea that Ireland should veto the €700billion ESM fund, as Sinn Féin also suggest we could get the money from the IMF. She says that this is unlikely to happen without the ESM but that Sinn Féin then go on to think that the ESM would cover Ireland after we have voted against the ESM. She reiterates Sinn Féin's opposition to the EU since the 1970s.

The Taoiseach will be given time on RTÉ to responded to Sinn Féin's Keynote Speech, which is to air on RTÉ. Gerry Adam's responded by saying "This is an entirely artificial situation which arises from the fact that Mr Kenny refuses to engage directly with myself in a proper debate on the Austerity Treaty. The Taoiseach himself has emphasised the importance of the choice that voters will make on 31st May. It would better for everyone concerned therefore, not least the voting public, for An Taoiseach to agree to such a debate.”