Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore is defying Taoiseach Enda Kenny's bid to abolish the Seanad by allowing Labour TDs to campaign against the reform. The commitment to hold a referendum on the future of the upper house is a key policy goal for Fine Gael and is in the Programme for Government that was agreed with Labour.

Senior Labour sources told today’s Irish Independent that the proposal to abolish the Seanad was a priority of Mr Kenny's and nobody in Labour "is going to die in a ditch over it".

A number of Labour deputies said they were ready to campaign to save the Seanad.

Ballaghaderreen based Labour Senator John Kelly is on record as supporting its continuation. The opposition to its abolition will pose a major headache for Mr Kenny as he tries to keep his own TDs and senators on side.

Government chief whip Paul Kehoe last night warned Fine Gael TDs and senators that they would have to support the abolition of the Seanad.

However, the referendum on the Seanad’s future  is not expected to happen for at least a year, with the children's referendum coming in first this autumn.