The Government has been accused of misleading the public with regard to the economic benefits to Ireland from the Nice Treaty.
The 'No to Nice Campaign' is seeking the support of the Irish electorate in rejecting the Treaty.
Campaign chairman Mr Dennis Riordan, who challenged the appointment of Mr Hugh Flaherty to the board of the European Investment Bank, accused the Government of falsely claiming that there will beeconomic benefits to Ireland from the Treaty.
He said people need to be made aware that once the Treaty is passed it paves the way for a situation in which, following enlargement, Ireland will have only 7 votes out of 345 on the Council of Ministers.
Mr Riordan is also claiming that the Treaty will deprive Ireland of 20 per cent of its European Parliamentmembers leaving the state with just 12 out of an eventual 732 seats.
The 'No to Nice Campaign's' most pressing concern according to a spokesperson is the absence in any EU Treaty of a legal mechanism for withdrawing from the Union should a member state wish to do so.
Sinn Féin, the Green Party and the Socialist Party are all campaign for a 'No'vote in the June 7th referendum, on the basis that the Treaty constitutes a threat to Irish neutrality, a diminution of Irish sovereignty and a further step towards transforming the European Union into a military superstate.
Ireland is the only EU member-state that will have a referendum to ratify theTreaty, which allows for enlargement of the Union.Around 2,867,960 people will be eligible to vote.