An anti-Lisbon Treaty group has accused the Forum on Europe of producing a biased information booklet about the looming EU referendum.
Former Green MEP and People's Movement member Patricia McKenna said that a Summary Guide to the Lisbon Treaty was biased and misleading.
The forum's booklet had wasted taxpayers' money, said Ms McKenna. "A group that consists predominantly of those on the Yes side have drawn up this guide. There has been absolutely no input, with the exception of Sinn Féin, from those on the No side and, as a result, the document is flawed," said Ms McKenna.
Sinn Féin also objected to parts of the guide yesterday, and the party said it would be drawing up its own guide.
Ms McKenna said that the document should have been drawn up by a committee of Yes and No campaigners, and included opposing arguments.
Another group, the Immigration Control Platform, said yesterday that they will oppose the treaty. "Our main concern would be the fact that the Charter of Fundamental Rights is to be legally binding," the platform said. "We draw attention to Article 18 of that charter which refers to 'the right to asylum', wording which was actually rejected by the drafters of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights which replaced it by the less strong wording 'the right to seek and enjoy . . . asylum'."
A spokesman for the National Forum on Europe said that "the treaty was lengthy and complex so there was a great need for a reliable and readable guide."