Ireland votes on Europe's deficit-fighting treaty

[May 31, 2012]  DUBLIN (AP) -- Irish voters are deciding whether their government can ratify the European Union's fiscal treaty, a deficit-fighting pact designed to bind Ireland and other debt-crippled eurozone members to tighter spending limits.

Both sides forecast victory ahead of Thursday's start of voting. Rejection could block Ireland from tapping loans from the EU's rescue fund in 2013 when Ireland's current supply of bailout cash runs out.

Anti-treaty campaigners contend this is an empty EU threat. They say Ireland should vote no, then demand a better debt-management deal from EU and International Monetary Fund chiefs that involves greater write-offs of state-owned bank debt.

All polls during the campaign pointed to the treaty's approval, but similar polls were proved wrong when Ireland voted to reject EU treaties in 2001 and 2008. Results come Friday.

[Associated Press]

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