Not even the most ardent Europhiles would claim that the Lisbon treaty is a rip-roaring read. But in the Irish Republic - where a referendum in a fortnight will decide the treaty's fate — it seems that hardly anyone has bothered to cast an eye over it at all.

Even Brian Cowen, the new Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader, reluctantly acknowledged that he had not read the text of the treaty from “cover to cover”, while the Defence Minister, Willie O'Dea, described it as “more Stephen Hawking than J.K. Rowling”.

At 346 pages, encompassing the amendments to two previous treaties - Maastricht and Rome - and containing most of the rejected European constitution, it is hardly surprising that nobody has read it, but the levels of public ignorance are becoming an issue as Ireland's politicians try to persuade people to say “yes”.

To date 13 of the 27 member countries have ratified Lisbon. Ireland is in the unique position of holding a referendum by virtue of constitutional imperative.

The country has every reason to be wildly pro-European — it has reaped huge benefits from Brussels subsidies — but voters delivered the biggest of surprises in June 2001 when they rejected the Nice treaty. The vote was rerun in October 2002 in order to gain the result preferred by the Government, which it achieved with 62 per cent support. The Government blamed itself after the initial defeat for failing to mount a sufficiently robust campaign.

Bertie Ahern, Mr Cowen's predecessor, stepped aside this month for fear that the controversy over his complex financial affairs might encourage voters to punish the Government with a “no” to Lisbon.

Selling a document as dense as the reform treaty is still going to be difficult, however. Mr Cowen said that since he negotiated 95 per cent of the treaty he knows exactly what it contains, but his claim is being contested by a rainbow coalition from across the political spectrum who want a “no” vote to triumph.

Eddie Conlon, of the left-wing People Before Profit Alliance, claimed that the Government was keeping the public in the dark deliberately about the treaty's details. His group claims that a “yes” would lead to further militarisation of the European Union and the privatisation of public services.

The “no” camp has the most eye-catching posters. One bears the slogan “People Died for your Freedom. Don't Throw it Away” superimposed on a copy of the 1916 Easter Rising's declaration of a Republic, one of the foundation stones of Irish independence and neutrality.

Sinn Féin is the only party with representation in the Dáil, the Irish parliament, to oppose the treaty, although the Greens — in government with Fianna Fáil — are split on the issue and have agreed not to promote a position. Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin presidentm, who played a disastrous role in last year's general election campaign, is keeping a low profile. On posters, his image has been replaced by the party's MEP, Mary Lou McDonald.

It is small wonder that the Government has resisted demands from the “no” camp for a copy of the treaty to be delivered to every household as part of the information campaign. An independent survey of voters found that two thirds of those polled said that they did not understand the issues in the treaty.

The latest poll revealed that the gap between those for and against has narrowed to 8 per cent, with 41 per cent intending to vote “yes” on June 12 and 33 per cent in the “no” camp. The remaining 26 per cent were undecided.

Mr Cowen has declared that securing the passage of the Lisbon treaty is the “first priority” facing his new administration, describing it as “critically important to our strategic interest, our national interest”.

Charlie McCreevy, Ireland's European Commissioner, has given a warning of a “big battle” to secure victory. “Those on the ‘yes' side know that this is not going to be easily won,” he said.

A factor even more difficult to measure is to what extent voters might look at the Nice treaty fiasco and regard the June 12 referendum as a guilt-free opportunity to kick the Government by voting “no” - safe in the knowledge that if it triumphs the decision can be reversed.

Times Recommends

• Heed the great stabiliser’s words
• How a voice for everyone led to stalemate
• Bakara market becomes a slaughterhouse