THE leader of the Muintir na hEireann party, Mr Richard Greene, has written to the UN requesting it to send observers to monitor the bail referendum.
"My request is that the UN dispatch independent observers to oversee the conduct of our Government and of RTE, our national broadcasting service, in the lead up to this referendum," Mr Greene writes.
He said the Supreme Court had found that the Government acted unlawfully in using public money to support the case for divorce in the last referendum. "It spent approximately £500,000 of public funds on a so called information campaign," Mr Greene said, yet despite the court judgment, there had been "no attempt to recoup these funds, no apology to the Irish people and no accountability".
In short, there had been no justice: "Because of this record I believe that our Government cannot now be trusted to behave within the norms of democratic decency.
At a press conference in Dublin yesterday, Mr Greene complained of "the systematic manner in which our party has been denied participation or coverage on various matters of public interest" by RTE.
Urging voters to reject the bail amendment, he said it was "an undemocratic and unacceptable dilution of fundamental civil rights" which was "currently incapable of implementation without release of convicted offenders".
He added that the knowing imprisonment of a person for a crime not committed could be considered as "cruel and inhuman punishment" and was at odds with "several international treaties".
There were "simpler, less expensive" alternatives available. Muintir na hEireann was concerned at "the continued erosion of civil liberties by what is effectively a one party State".
These "ill considered and even draconian" proposals had been passed through the Dail on the nod. "While the proposal may well lead to some reduction of crime on bail, there is no assurance that there will be a net reduction of crime," he said.
"The present debate in the Dail on the delisting of a judge concerns nothing more fundamental than an administrative oversight. Yet it is wittingly or otherwise, diverting attention from what ought to be a very serious debate about a basic set of civil rights," Mr Greene said.