Dublin - What do Ireland's Socialist Party, the nationalist Sinn Fein party, The Peace and Neutrality Alliance, The People Before Profit Alliance and the Unite trade union have in common?

All are members of the Campaign Against the EU Constitution (CAEUC) which launched the "No" to Lisbon campaign, part II last month.

A successful "No" campaign blocked the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty in June 2008. Ireland is set to hold a second referendum on the treaty on October 2.

The Lisbon Treaty replaced the earlier proposed EU constitution, which was vetoed by French and Dutch voters in referendums in 2005.

When the unlikely alliance of 14 groups launched their campaign jointly, the incongruity of liberal feminists, socialists and Irish nationalists espousing a cause linking them to the religious right and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) was not lost on commentators.

CAEUC is well aware of this awkward position and has condemned "spurious arguments" from organizations like the religious right Coir.

It is also wary of being hijacked by UKIP's policies and has stated that it "regrets the decision by UKIP to raise the issue of immigration in the Irish referendum on the Lisbon Treaty."

"CAEUC and its affiliate organizations are of the opinion that immigration and abortion have nothing to do with the Lisbon Treaty."

Despite the paranoia about associations with UKIP, there has been little sense that it is wielding any great influence in the debate, with many voters resenting the interference of a group known for its anti-Irish and racist views.

However, the religious right group Coir has been very effective in making its presence felt.

Coir was instrumental in planting the idea during the last Lisbon campaign that Ireland's ban on abortion might be compromised by the Lisbon Treaty.

This claim, which is being reiterated during this campaign, has been refuted by the Catholic Church. Bishop Noel Treanor has said that the Lisbon Treaty does not alter the legal position of abortion in Ireland.

The bishop said some organizations were giving out "misleading and inaccurate information" on the treaty.

"None of them speak on behalf of the Catholic Church," he stressed.

Coir's wildly emotive poster campaign began to appear before the beginning of September, long before the "Yes" campaign had begun.

One poster has pictures of some of the main protagonists in Ireland's struggle for independence from Britain. Underneath, it says "They won your freedom. Don't throw it away."

Last time around, under the leadership of Libertas, the anti- Lisbon campaign concentrated on tax rates, neutrality and abortion.

As a reflection of the country's changed economic status, with unemployment rising by 7.8 percentage points since December 2007 to its current levels of 12.5 per cent, the emphasis of the anti- Lisbon campaign has shifted very much toward workers' rights.

Claims being made on this front vary from Coir's suggestion that the Irish minimum wage is going to drop to a rate of 1.84 euros from its current rate of 8.65 euros to others that the European Court of Justice will be able to overrule decisions affecting workers' rights in favour of big business.

Socialist Party Member of the European Parliament, Joe Higgins, whose dogged adherence to his left-wing principles was rewarded by the electorate at the European Parliament elections last June, rejects claims the guarantees obtained by the government would protect workers' rights.

Higgins, as the "No" campaigner with the highest profile and the most charisma, has been the natural leader of the anti-Lisbon side this time around.

The return of Libertas' Declan Ganley who spearheaded the successful "No" campaign in June 2008, has not altered that. Ganley's Lazarus-like return, timed for maximum impact at the weekend of September 12, was something of a damp squib.

However, the number of voters still undecided, estimated at 21 per cent, and the large number of people who believe that the very act of running a second referendum - after the treaty was rejected last year - provides reason enough to vote no, may mean that October 2 may see Ganley victorious again. (dpa)