Government blamed for farmers’ talks walkout

THE row over the Nitrates Directive took a heavy political toll yesterday as farming organisations walked out of social partnership negotiations in anger.

Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Macra na Feirme suspended their involvement in the national partnership negotiations, accusing the Government of undermining the process.

IFA president Padraig Walshe said yesterday the Departments of Agriculture and the Environment had undermined the negotiations by announcing the imposition of the directive while the first partnership meeting was in progress.