CAMPAIGN PLEA:FORMER TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has urged the Yes parties to intensify door-to-door canvassing in the run-up to Thursday's referendum, declaring that an Irish rejection would be "very bad" for the country and its image abroad.
Mr Ahern said he would also personally feel very bad if the treaty was not passed, and said the country's political and public service system would be affected by such a result.
"I think it would be increasingly difficult to for us to negotiate in the future, not just on this issue but on other issues," said Mr Ahern yesterday, who added that Ireland has benefited greatly from European Union involvement.
"I think people would find it difficult to understand why we would reject something that's fundamental to the ongoing development of the union.
"I would find that difficult to explain too.
"Our politicians of all parties and our civil servants have played a key role in it and this would undermine our continuing efforts, and that wouldn't be a good thing."
Mr Ahern said that if he had "one concern" in relation to the Yes referendum campaign, it was that there had not been enough canvassing done at people's homes.
This was not a difficult task, he said, as people are seeking answers to basic questions.
"I've been out a lot over the last two to three weeks and it's been a campaign where there is a great requirement, in my view, to be actually at the door. People will not read the Lisbon Treaty. They won't read the White Paper. I read the treaty because I did the negotiations at the time. But you can't expect the ordinary member of the public to do that and I haven't met anyone who has, or who has read the full White Paper."
He outlined that he simply explained to confused voters at the weekend that the Lisbon Treaty basically involves a "set of rule changes" to make the European Union "more modern, efficient, effective and more manageable".