The Government has been accused of abandoning farmers who face huge waste management costs because of the implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive.
Last weekend the European Commission sent back for amendment the Government's nitrates plan, which had sought a derogation to allow farmers to use higher levels of nitrates than allowed in the directive.
Fine Gael's agriculture spokesman, Mr Denis Naughten, said this could have significant financial implications for farmers.
He called for clarification on the proposed implementation of the directive.
"I am calling on the Minister for Agriculture and the Minister for the Environment to immediately hold round-table discussions with all production interest groups.
"I am also seeking an urgent meeting of the Dáil Agriculture Committee to discuss the major implications of this decision by the EU Commission."
He said farmers were told that implementation of the directive would begin in January 2005 and that the Government would help them to cope with the huge financial burden they faced - up to €1 billion - by putting in place a comprehensive grant package.
"To date we have seen neither the grant aid package nor any final action plan on how this Directive will be implemented," he said.
Farmers faced tough terms of implementation, in particular highly restrictive conditions for slurry spreading and storage, and would get badly burned by this directive because the Government has taken no steps, in its seven years in office, to ease farmers into the process by planning for this directive well in advance.
"The Brosnan report, commissioned by the Government itself, advocated an increase in waste management grants from 40 to 60 per cent. So far, that recommendation has been ignored, with Budget 2005 containing no increased aid at all," he said.
The Irish Cattle and Sheepowners' Association president, Mr Malcolm Thompson, expressed his "disappointment and annoyance" at news the EU had rejected parts of the Irish nitrates plan.
He said a lot of effort and negotiation had gone into the plan, and he warned that farmers could tolerate no additional storage requirements for slurry.
He called on the Minister to exert every possible influence to ensure the nitrates plan as submitted remained broadly acceptable.