A round-up of today's other stories in brief...
Austrian pen pals try soft sell approach
JUST WHEN the Yes campaign thought they were getting on top of the battle for hearts and minds over the referendum comes a secret weapon from the No campaign: hordes of Austrian letter-writers.
Austrian citizens opposed to the Lisbon Treaty have been thumbing through Irish phone books and sending unsolicited letters to private addresses across Ireland urging citizens to vote No.
The most common version is from Christoph Ruf of Kirchbichl, a municipality in west Austria, who describes himself as an "Austrian citizen who is not allowed to vote".
In contrast to most of the heated rhetoric in the referendum so far, he adopts a softer approach, giving recipients his "very best wishes", and attaches a sticker on the back of the envelope with the words "Alles Liebe!, or "all is love".
This grassroots movement may not be all that it seems, though. The No group, Libertas, is liaising with an umbrella organisation known as Rettet Österreich (Save Austria), which has been campaigning for Austria to hold a referendum on the treaty.
A spokesman for Libertas insisted that it was not funding the exercise and that the letter-writing idea was "entirely spontaneous" on the part of the Austrians. However, the spokesman speculated that people may expect similar letters over the coming weeks from citizens in Denmark, France and a range of other countries.
Animal welfare group opposes monkey business
THEY'VE BEEN used to sell everything from PG Tips to Pepsi - but using chimpanzees to sell a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty may have proved a step too far.
The eye-catching poster by the Dublin-based group Cóir, which features three chimpanzees, has drawn sharp criticism from the Captive Animals Protection Society.
"The political posters featuring chimps in different poses are of animals in captivity, likely kept and trained specifically for use in commercials," says Craig Redmond, the society's campaigns manager.
"Their use not only helps continue the use of animals for commercial purposes but also diminishes their status as an endangered species requiring protection."
But Cóir was unrepentant yesterday. Its spokesman Richard Greene said no chimpanzee had been harmed in the production of its posters. And he insisted they weren't trying to make a monkey out of the chimps concerned.
"I'm against animal cruelty. In fact, I'm a former Green Party councillor," Greene said. "These great chimpanzees are helping to save democracy, which is a lot more than can be said for Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the others."
Trying to rock the electoral register
AS WELL as rocking the vote, the independent campaign to promote voter turn-out among younger people is trying to rock the electoral register.
Its new website, www.rockthevote.ie, provides a step-by-step guide on how to be included on the register in time for the referendum before Saturday's deadline.
"There is a lot of confusion out there about this referendum - we hope that by clearing some of that up, we can encourage young people to vote," says director of Rock the Vote Ireland, Gearóid O'Rourke.
The National Youth Council of Ireland has also launched its "don't stay schtum, have your say on the referendum" leaflet to encourage young people to register and vote.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael young gun Leo Varadkar has claimed that the Government has disenfranchised thousands of young voters by waiting until days before the postal vote deadline before placing advertisements about it in the newspapers.
Students studying away from home, and any voter who is out of the country on polling day for work or business reasons, is entitled to a postal vote.
However, Mr Varadkar said adverts first appeared last week, just days before the deadline for the postal vote.
Events Today
11amCampaign Against the EU Constitution, an
alliance of 13 groups, launches campaign against the treaty. Unite
offices, 55-56 Middle Abbey St, Dublin.
1.15pmRock The Vote campaign to enlist the support
of political party leaders outside Dáil Éireann.
1.30pmFianna Fáil press conference on
"Globalisation and The Lisbon Reform Treaty". The Alexander Hotel,
Dublin.
2pmNational Youth Council of Ireland launch of
"Don't Stay Schtum, Have Your Say on the Referendum" leaflet.
European Commission Offices, Dublin.
6.30pmPro-Lisbon Treaty Business Alliance
information roadshow. Red Cow Moran's Hotel, Dublin.
8pmPeople Before Profit alliance public debate:
"How will Lisbon impact on democracy, neutrality and public
services?" SAYS, 4 Aungier Street, Dublin.
8pmFianna Fáil public meeting to be addressed
by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan and Minister of State John
Curran. Spa Hotel, Lucan.
8pmVoteNo.ie public meeting. Quarryvale Community
Centre, Dublin.