Vol. 554 No. 5
462 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason regional newspapers in Kildare, Laois and Carlow are not being included in the Government's Nice advertising campaign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16817/02]
In keeping with the judgment of the Supreme Court in these matters, there is no Government advertising campaign on the Treaty of Nice.
Money has been provided to the Referendum Commission to enable it to fulfil its function of explaining the subject matter of the referendum to the population at large, as simply and effectively as possible, promoting public awareness of the referendum and encouraging the electorate to vote.
The Referendum Commission is entirely independent in its operation, including in deciding how to spend that portion of its budget it allocates to an advertising campaign.
