THE REFERENDUM Commission has returned €1.1 million of the funding given to it for the Lisbon Treaty referendum to the Department of Foreign Affairs following what it described as “a successful and effective campaign”.

In its report for 2009, published yesterday, the commission said that of the budget of €4.2 million allocated to it for its information campaign on the treaty, it had spent €3.1 million.

“The decision of the commission not to send an addressed booklet to each voter [an unaddressed guide was delivered to each house instead], combined with the economic conditions which resulted in more competitive pricing, meant that the commission was able to conduct an effective campaign and still return €1.1 million of its funding.”

The main elements of the commission campaign involved the booklet to homes, a comprehensive guide distributed to offices and published online. There was a voter registration campaign, a lo-call phone service, press conferences and a national advertising campaign in the press, radio, television, online and outdoor.

Younger voters were targeted with advertising on social network sites. Voter research conducted by Behaviour Attitudes on behalf of the commission in July 2009 showed 60 per cent of voters said they had at least some understanding of the treaty, compared to just 21 per cent in April 2008 at the equivalent point in the 2008 campaign.