Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent and nature of qualitative research availed of by opponents of the Lisbon treaty in the course of the recent referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27105/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the extent of qualitative research made available to the Government or any of the Government parties prior to the recent referendum on the Lisbon treaty; if such research indicated the expected outcome of the referendum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27107/08]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 462 and 463 together.

In advance of the referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, the Government conducted an intensive information campaign aimed at providing the electorate with factual information about the Treaty. The Government did not commission any research on voter attitudes. However, individual political parties were of course free to conduct their own private research in terms of polling prior to the vote on 12 June.

I have no information about any qualitative research that may have been available to opponents of the Lisbon Treaty during the campaign.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government, as part of their analysis on the outcome of the referendum, are currently commissioning a research project. The key objective of this research is to understand the reasons underlying voting decisions in the referendum and to analyse current public attitudes toward the European Union in Ireland.