Lisbon Treaty research defended

THE Department of Foreign Affairs has defended a decision to finance weighty research into why voters backed the Lisbon Treaty.

The radical shift in the support for the referendum is to be examined by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The total cost of similar research in late 2008 into why the electorate backed a No vote cost taxpayers around €150,000.

Iveagh House wants to spend more funds probing the Yes vote just weeks ahead of the savage cuts expected in the budget.