Labour leader Eamon Gilmore today accused the Lisbon No campaign of attempting to frighten voters.
He said that having lost the argument on neutrality and social and economic issues, the anti-Lisbon campaign was taking on an increasingly strident and hysterical tone.
Speaking while canvassing in Bray, Co Wicklow, Mr Gilmore said: "In the past few weeks we have heard claims that ratifying the Lisbon Treaty will enable a Brussels 'elite' to take your three year old child into custody; that it will lead to the introduction of abortion and euthanasia, together with talk of the EU being a stepping stone towards a world government.
"These issues have absolutely nothing to do with the Lisbon Treaty or the EU, but this has not stopped those advocating a no vote to use them to try to frighten the electorate.
"These groups [in the anti-Lisbon campaign] include people who are opposed in principle to the EU and who have opposed every single social reform in this country. The same people brought us the 'Hello Divorce: Goodbye Daddy' poster in 1996 which is typical of the misleading and alarmist tactics they specialise in," Mr Gilmore said.
"They are an intolerant and unrepresentative minority. The electorate should resist attempts to be frightened or intimidated into a No vote."
The Labour leader added that there were plenty of independent sources of information on the Treaty available to voters.