The Yes side in the Nice referendum has been engaging in "continuing economic scaremongering", according to the newly-formed group Equal in Europe, which is campaigning for a No vote.
"The overwhelming evidence is that companies invest in Ireland because of our well-educated workers and because of our attractive corporation tax regime. Neither of these will be negatively impacted by a rejection of the Nice Treaty," said Ms Linda McEvoy, on behalf of the group.
"Equal in Europe enthusiastically supports enlargement and recognises the benefits that this will bring to the economy. But enlargement will continue if the treaty is rejected. The economic arguments used by the Yes campaign are not pertinent to the referendum and only serve to detract from the aspects of the treaty that give rise for concern.
"Economic arguments about the supposed loss of inward investment are only relevant if the issue is whether we remain within the EU or not. Ireland's full and active participation in the EU remains, even if this particular treaty is rejected."
Mr Anthony Coughlan's National Platform said that the Government was lining up "with the other EU states" against its own people. It quoted the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, telling the Dáil following the Gothenburg summit after the last referendum that it "would have been wrong" for him to urge the other member-states to halt their ratification procedures.
"If he had respected the Irish people's vote, he would have abided by it. He would not just have asked, but would have insisted, if need be, that the other EU states should not go ahead with ratifying Nice as it stood, and that at least some changes would have to be made to it before it could be put to the Irish people again."