FORMER TAOISEACH:FORMER TAOISEACH Garret FitzGerald has told a website specialising in EU affairs that a No vote in next month's referendum would be a "lunatic choice".
In an interview with the EurActivwebsite, Dr FitzGerald said the consequences of rejecting the treaty would be "very damaging" for Ireland.
"We don't know precisely what those consequences would be. What would the other member states do? Are they going to allow the Lisbon Treaty reforms to be blocked by this or are they going to set up a community of 26 inside the community of 27, marginalising us? We don't know."
Asked about the mood in Ireland ahead of the referendum, he said it was "very undecided".
"The polls as usual are showing a considerable majority in favour, but that is not the issue. What matters is turnout. We have seen this before, during the first referendum on the Nice Treaty, when low voter turnout led to a No vote.
"I think the groundswell against is more pronounced on this occasion . . . There is no doubt that the No campaign has been very active, and there has been no adequate response to that until the past fortnight. While the Yes campaign is good and does answer all the relevant points, it has come very late, and a lot of people have already been persuaded by the propaganda against the treaty.
"The Government is rebutting now, but not always effectively. The material being produced by the Government is good but it has come much too late, and Ministers do not seem to have absorbed it and are not dealing with the particular issues very effectively."