The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has signalled that he intends to examine the way in which referendums are conducted because of the "restrictions" imposed on campaigning by the McKenna judgment, writes Maol Muire Tynan.
Within hours of his comments, the Progressive Democrat TD, Mr Des O'Malley, told a meeting of his party that "the ridiculous McKenna judgment of the Supreme Court" had led to a situation where the Referendum Commission was forced to contrive arguments against both proposals.
"The commission is forced into the position, in order to contrive negative arguments, that it must at times adopt unreal fears and develop them as if they were genuine," Mr O'Malley said. The adoption of the Northern Ireland agreement was "so patently in the public and national interest" that to oppose it could only operate against the public interest.