Cowen, Coughlan, McCreevy have not read Treaty

Ireland's EU Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, has admitted that he has not read the Lisbon Treaty.

Ireland's EU Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, has admitted that he has not read the Lisbon Treaty.

Speaking in Dublin today, Mr McCreevy said he would not expect "ordinary, decent Irish people" to be spending hours reading the document.

He also cracked a joke at the new Taoiseach, saying he always regarded the Fianna Fáil fundraising tent at the Galway Races as "a pain in the arse".

Mr McCreevy said he was allowed to use such language because it had been "officially sanctioned" by Brian Cowen.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, meanwhile, says his party is working to combat concerns raised by senior Government members' lack of clarity on the Lisbon Treaty.

Mc Cowen has already admitted that he has not read the treaty, while the Tánaiste, Mary Coughlan, gave inaccurate answers on the number of EU Commissioners this week.

Mr Kenny says he and his Treaty team have all read the document and are engaging in a vibrant campaign for a Yes vote on June 12.

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