Campaigners against the Lisbon Treaty were described by Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last night as "loo-las of every kind and shape" who advocated "loony-left" policies.
Launching in Dublin the 2008 Bruce Shaw Handbook, a guide to the construction and property industry, Mr Ahern departed from his script to say that, between now and the referendum date, "there will be a whole lot of loo-las of every kind and shape drifting around this country following the same nonsense that they followed since 1972".
Criticising Sinn Féin's role in opposing the treaty, he said "all sensible political parties" were voting Yes but that "the loony left, led by a number of parties including Sinn Féin and Marxist-Leninist groups and the Socialist Party", were all on the No side.
"And there's also some fundamentalist groups as well," he added.
These groups and individuals were "following the same nonsense that they followed since 1972" when Ireland voted to join the European Economic Community.
Mr Ahern said opponents of membership had forecast that, by voting Yes, "we will ruin ourselves and we'll go under sea and that we'll succeed in doing what St Patrick didn't do by bringing the water all over Ireland, and every other nonsense".
He urged his audience of business people: "Please advise your staff of all political persuasions that all sensible political parties in this country - which are Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, Labour, the Greens, who are joining us for the first time in voting for Europe, the Progressive Democrats - are all for it."
On forthcoming construction projects, the Taoiseach gave a further hint that he intended to remain in office for some time when he mentioned that the Spencer Dock conference centre would be "opened by me in 2010".
