A Fine Gael City Councillor has been left incensed after the information leaflet on the upcoming referendum was delivered to his home with a second leaflet, a British UK Independence party pamphlet, advocating a No vote folded up inside it.

Councillor Emmet O’Halloran said the leaflet from the Referendum Commission is supposed to explain the Fiscal Stability Treaty in a fair and unbiased way.

However, he said he was shocked on Saturday when the leaflet was delivered to his home in Turner’s Cross.
“I received this important information document with an eight-page pamphlet from the British ‘UK Independence Party’ who are campaigning for a ‘no’ vote.”
“This represents a tangible threat to the democratic process in Ireland,” he said.
“I respect the right of groups to campaign for a ‘No’ vote. However, the feedback from those who are undecided is that they will make their minds up once they have received and read the independent information distributed by the Referendum Commission.
“Both leaflets look similar and I fear some people will be influenced by this mix up,” he added.
An Post secured the 190,000 contract to deliver the leaflets to €2.06m households across the country.
Paddy Walsh of the Referendum Commission said they have received similar complaints from across the country over the delivery of the leaflets.
“We are taking this matter very seriously and are extremely annoyed about the situation.”
“The Referendum Commission does not have a view one way or the other and is just supposed to explain what the Treaty is and let each person make their own mind up,” he said.
A spokesperson for An Post said it has been in contact with the Referendum Commission and said it isthey are taking the matter very seriously.
“This should not have happened. All our staff have received strict instructions to keep the leaflets separate,” a spokesman said.