Commission’s remit watered down by politicians

BARRY WALSH (Letters, June 12) appears to object when I pointed out that the original remit of the Referendum Commission was to “outline arguments for and against” whatever referendum was being held, but that this was changed when we gave our politicians a close call at the Nice Treaty.

The politicians simply changed the remit and, as I stated, the commission chairman, Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O’Neill, was not allowed to list any of the downsides in the Lisbon Treaty.

So the commission was simply left to write a layman’s guide to it.