‘Economy will be badly affected’ if Nice Treaty rejected

WHILE the frustration of some farmers, due to current income difficulties, is understandable, a rejection of the Nice Treaty would do incalculable damage to the economy and to our future in Europe, the Agricultural Science Association warned last night.

ASA president Seán Gaule, who issued the warning, was speaking at a special function in Dublin to celebrate the roots of higher agricultural education in Ireland some 100 years ago and to honour the faculty of agricultural science in UCD. He said it would be wrong to relate what is a current income difficulty with the long-term strategic decision of enlargement. Consequently, ASA, whose annual conference takes place today, is urging its members to vote Yes in the forthcoming referendum.

Mr Gaule made a presentation of a sculpture to UCD registrar Caroline Hussey to mark the achievements of the agricultural science faculty.