ICMSA warning over Lisbon Treaty

EUROPE has become a burden to most farmers who now see it as having a primary role to regulate them out of existence, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association leader Jackie Cahill warned yesterday.

Meanwhile, a green light for cheap and sub standard food imports that will keep inflation rates artificially down is being given.

Mr Cahill, speaking from a conference in Brussels, organised by the European Milk Board, representing dairy farmers, said the Irish Government is facing an extremely embarrassing reverse on the Lisbon Treaty Referendum unless a serious effort is mounted immediately to convince the electorate of the merits of a Yes vote.

He said the ICMSA’s political antennae are picking up decidedly mixed messages on the prospects for the passage of the Lisbon Treaty.

“I am in favour of the treaty and am optimistic that ouwill come out in its favour. But I am spectacularly unconvinced by the quality of the ‘Yes’ campaign so far and I’m warning both the Government and the other pro-treaty parties that if they don’t get their act together — and fast — that they are heading for an unmerciful shock,” he said.

Mr Cahill said while farmers were still fundamentally supportive of the concept of Europe, they had been thoroughly disillusioned by the war of attrition the Commission had been waging against them for some time.