Dublin - A new opinion poll shows that opposition to the Lisbon Treaty has grown in Ireland in the last fortnight, but that the "Yes" side is still leading comfortably, the Irish Times daily newspaper reported Friday.

With just one week to go before the referendum, the pro-Lisbon vote is leading by 59 per cent to 41 per cent when undecided voters are excluded, according to the poll published Friday.

The "No" side has also gained some ground, up four points to 33 per cent since the last Irish Times poll two weeks ago, while 48 per cent said they would vote yes, an increase of two points.

The percentage of those who said they did not know has fallen by six points to 19 per cent.

The Lisbon Treaty was blocked by a successful "No" vote in June 2008. A new referendum is being held on October 2.

The TNS mrbi poll questioned 1,000 voters on Tuesday and Wednesday around Ireland about their voting intentions.

The marginal increase in the "Yes" vote in the final stages of the campaign will come as a relief to supporters of the Lisbon Treaty, but the larger increase in the "No" vote will give anti-treaty campaigners grounds for believing they can still win the referendum on October
2.

The final Irish Times poll at a similar stage in the first Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign in June 2008 put the "No" side in the lead with 35 per cent of the vote compared with 30 per cent who said they were voting "Yes."

At that stage 35 per cent of voters were still undecided. (dpa)