More than 20 well-known figures have urged the Government to establish the referendum commission well in advance of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty to encourage maximum turnout and ensure voters are fully informed of the treaty's content.
The call is made in a letter published in The Irish Times today and signed by, among others, Bishop of Killaloe Willie Walsh, Ruairi Quinn TD, singer Christy Moore, academic Declan Kiberd, Senator David Norris and authors Pat McCabe and Dervla Murphy.
The signatories span the political spectrum and hold diverging views on the Lisbon Treaty.
"We are confident that the commission will provide truthful, objective and non-partisan information to citizens if it is given enough time and resources to do this . . . and is not faced with the task of publicising multiple referendum propositions simultaneously, as has occurred on occasion in the past," the letter says.
There were further calls yesterday for a date to be set for the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said the referendum should be held before the summer. "I would like to see the legislation, first of all, in respect of the EU reform treaty brought forward. I believe that that referendum should be held before the summer."
At a meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs, chair Bernard Durkan told committee members and representatives of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers and the Irish Co-operative Organisation Society that a date should be set without delay. "It is important that we know and soon," he said.
Opinion: page 16; and Letters: page 17