INFORMATION CAMPAIGN:THE REFERENDUM Commission yesterday rejected criticism of its public information campaign by several opponents of the Lisbon Treaty.
Former Green Party MEP Patricia McKenna criticised the commission for not publishing the full text of the 28th amendment to the Constitution in its household information booklet, claiming this was a breach of its statutory duty.
Separately, the Peace and Neutrality Alliance (Pana) criticised commission chairman Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill for comments he made on the treaty's potential impact on Irish neutrality.
Pana said it "totally" rejected the chairman's remark that it was the commission's considered view that Ireland's neutrality "is not altered" by the treaty.
Anti-Lisbon Treaty campaigner Anthony Coughlan also claimed the commission had failed to properly inform the public about the contents of the treaty.
A spokesman for the commission said: "The commission doesn't engage in the debate with the Yes or No sides. It is satisfied that it is fulfilling its statutory obligations to give a general explanation on the subject matter and text of the referendum proposal."
On Tuesday, the commission began distributing more than two million copies of its summary handbook, which provides a general treaty overview, to voters' homes throughout the State .
In her statement, Ms McKenna said: "The fact that the full text of the amendment is not being provided and explained to voters by the commission indicates a major problem that will have to be legally addressed if it is not rectified."
She added: "It is deeply disturbing that this independent body, which has the important function of providing and explaining the constitutional amendment being proposed, has not even given voters the text they must consider."
She said the information brochure was "quite misleading", adding it was vital that taxpayers' money was spent well by the commission and that people were clear about what they were being asked to agree to.
On the question of military alliances, Roger Cole of Pana said Ireland's traditional neutrality had already been affected by US military movements at Shannon.
He said: "There is no Irish neutrality left to be 'altered'."