IFA
Wants urgent talks
The Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, has said that Ireland and France could bring about profound alterations to the proposed changes to European farm policy.
Mr Walsh was speaking in Dublin after he was made an officer of the French Legion of Honour at the French embassy.
France and Ireland have frequently joined forces at European level to protect the interests of their farmers.
The award has been given to only a handful of Irish people before including Garret Fitzgerald, John Hume and David Trimble.
The French Minister for Agriculture, Herve Gaymard, praised the long service, firmness and negotiating skills of Mr Walsh. He said the two countries had become partners in defending the CAP.
Ireland and France are set to do battle again shortly to fight the agriculture reforms announced in July. Mr Walsh said he hopes to negotiate profound changes to the proposals.
IFA seek urgent meeting with Taoiseach
However, the IFA has tonight by-passed the Minister and are seeking an urgent meeting with the Taoiseach to deal with some of the issues confronting Irish farmers. The organisation has warned of a "crisis" in farm incomes.
The IFA leader, John Dillon, said a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture, Joe Walsh, had failed to make any progress on the issue. He added that incomes were expected to fall by 15% and that this "stark" situation could not be ignored.
The association says it is disappointed with the lack of response from the Government to a list of proposals it made almost a fortnight ago when it lobbied TDs about their demands.
At that stage, the IFA warned that unless it received an adequate response, farmers on the ground might not vote in favour of the Nice Referendum. However, since then the association has reiterated that it is fully advocating a Yes vote.
The IFA is seeking a financial package for farmers hit by the bad summer weather. It also wants improvements to a range of schemes including social welfare, environment work, sheep tagging and disadvantaged payments.
