RedC poll for Sunday Business Post: 73% want a referendum on the Fiscal Treaty.

[Toman13]

Well, it is clearly obvious that the Government is going to lose popularity if they succeed in getting the treaty passed without a referendum. It would be hard to with nearly 3 quarters of the population wanting a referendum. Also, on the actual vote (excluding don't knows), it seems that the YES side is winning, but with 53% in favour, it's early yet to give a conclusion, and the NO side often gets more support as the campaign moves on, so a NO vote is very possible.

Well, can any Europhiles justify not giving a referendum now, and are they sure that people are going to vote YES? Just for the record, There's a lot of anger with the EU at the moment, and I'll be convincing everyone that I know that can vote that the Fiscal Treaty (rightly) will be bad for long-term prospects for Ireland.

[drummed]

It is'nt a legal requirement to hold a public vote every time legislation is passed in the dail.
That's simple and obvious reason.

[Toman13]

It is'nt a legal requirement to hold a public vote every time legislation is passed in the dail.
That's simple and obvious reason.

This is hardly a normal piece of legislation, Drummy.

[drummed]

This is hardly a normal piece of legislation, Drummy.

Either was the bank garauntee or countless other bills.
Makes no odds. There'll be no voting so its all academic anyway.

[Rocky]

I'm surprised it wasn't a lot higher. Generally when asked questions like this, pretty much everyone wants a referendum on everything. I think the more interesting thing is that a quarter of the people don't want to vote. I guess the two Lisbon referendum campaigns turned more people off EU referendums than just myself.

[Toman13]

Either was the bank garauntee or countless other bills.
Makes no odds. There'll be no voting so its all academic anyway.

It wants us to put the new golden rules into "constitutional level or similar". Since Germany is pushing hard for it to be in constitutions and the fact that we have nothing more binding than our constitution, ergo a referendum is needed.

[hammer]

Waste of time and money.

It will pass anyway. We are pro European / IMF

[Toman13]

I'm surprised it wasn't a lot higher. Generally when asked questions like this, pretty much everyone wants a referendum on everything. I think the more interesting thing is that a quarter of the people don't want to vote. I guess the two Lisbon referendum campaigns turned more people off EU referendums than just myself.

Well, some 7% don't know, so it's not all people who don't want one.

[Toman13]

Waste of time and money.

It will pass anyway. We are pro European / IMF

Or so you'd like to think. I, and many others, are not.

[Catalpa]

I think the Government would still be chary of putting it to the test at the ballot box

- that is just too narrow a margin for them to feel comfortable with

+ the YES vote has been known to slip the nearer the date gets to an EU Referendum...

If as Mario Dragi says the Treaty means a derogation of Sovereignty

- then any challenge to the Supreme Court on the Constitutionality of any Bill passed to facilitate the implementation of the prospective Fiscal Treaty

- is likely to be accepted as needing a Referendum

IMO