REACTION:THE GOVERNMENT will not hesitate to use its veto to block a world trade talks deal if Irish agriculture is threatened, Taoiseach Brian Cowen assured the Irish Farmers' Association yesterday.
Rejecting suggestions that he had backed down in the face of farmers' demands, Mr Cowen said he had stressed "once again" to IFA President Pádraig Walshe that a deal is not yet on the table.
"The set of proposals currently on the table would require agriculture to bear a disproportionate burden while delivering little benefit in other sectors and would therefore be unacceptable to the Government," he said.
EU member states would have to accept a WTO deal unanimously: "Therefore, Ireland can veto EU agreement to an unacceptable deal and . . . the Lisbon Treaty will not change these arrangements or the existence of this veto."
Mr Cowen said the Government would not have to make a decision on using the veto until a final proposal is made, but if it proves unsatisfactory, then Ireland will veto EU ratification of the deal.
"We have repeatedly said that the proposals on the table as it stands are unbalanced and unacceptable to Ireland . . . I made it clear that we are prepared to veto a deal that is unacceptable to Ireland if it's put to a vote," he said.
Urging farmers and agri-business to vote Yes, he said Lisbon would strengthen rather than weaken Ireland's position "as it confirms the requirement for unanimity among EU members for ratification of any deal".
He said he gave a similar assurance to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) last Saturday, and that there had been "symmetry" in statements from Ministers on the subject.
Welcoming the IFA's decision to call for a Yes vote, Fine Gael TD Michael Creed queried why "it took so long" for Mr Cowen and the Government to give the WTO assurance sought by farmers.
"The Irish Government's ongoing failure to commit to use the veto was unnerving farmers and jeopardising their support for the referendum.
"The IFA indicated their support for a Yes vote as far back as January and the Fianna Fáil Government almost lost that. This eleventh-hour U-turn by Brian Cowen, while welcome, could and should have come sooner," said the Cork North West TD.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said he was "glad" that the issues concerning the IFA had been resolved: "I hope that the IFA will now work with all other groups campaigning for a Yes vote to ensure the biggest possible turnout of voters on June 12th.
"It is important that we all work together to secure ratification so that the EU will become more efficient, more democratic and more accountable," he said.
Anti-Lisbon lobby group Libertas said the IFA's decision was "disappointing, but totally to be expected" because IFA president Pádraig Walshe was eager to "avoid the blame" for a No vote.
"If there is a Yes vote, and in 10 years' time Irish farming is in its death throes, people will look back at June 3rd, 2008, as the day the IFA signed the warrant for its own execution," said Libertas's Naoise Nunn.
Ken Curtin of the Irish Alliance for Europe said the IFA's decision was "a huge boost" since the IFA represents 85,000 farm families and is "the largest . . . rural body".
Former Green MEP Patricia McKenna said both the IFA and ICMSA had been put "under huge pressure" and it was "nice but foolish" to believe that the Government would veto a WTO deal.
"This promise is as empty as those given to growers of the now abandoned sugar beet industry," she said.