FAQ: What is wrong with you people?

In its fevered desperation to pass the Lisbon Treaty, the Irish government has now gone into total overkill.

In addition to its campaigning website on the Treaty itself, which is www.lisbontreaty.ie, and of course the suspiciously slick Generation Yes campaign, the Government has now launched yet another new website "to explain what the EU has done for Ireland." It is a frankly shocking example of propaganda financed by the public purse.

Absolutely no attempt is made to even pretend that this is neutral information written to help people's understanding of the EU (which we all agree is desperately needed).

Take this for example. Among the 10 'Frequently Asked Questions' about the EU are such gems as:

"Is the EU working to make sure my children's toys are safe?"

"What about the food I eat and the water I drink? How does the EU help to make them safer?"

and

"I bought a camera on my holidays last month in Spain, but it isn’t working. Does the shop in Spain have to fix it? "

Eh? Frequently asked questions? How about: "What is the European Commission" "What do MEPs actually do" and "What proportion of our laws are made in Brussels?"

This shameless, concerted and no doubt expensive brainwash campaign is the latest in a long, long list of examples of how too many people in positions that matter simply do not understand the desperate need for a fair and balanced debate about the EU and its future.

Not only that, but we also hear that crazed politicians around Europe have decided to have no qualms at all about wading right into the Irish debate and demanding that voters say yes - with the new EP President, Jerzy Buzek planning a trip.

All this is very depressing for a Friday afternoon.