IRISH FARMERS' Association president Pádraig Walshe will warn French president Nicolas Sarkozy today that if the WTO deal currently on the table in Geneva goes ahead it will profoundly damage support in rural Ireland for any future Lisbon referendum.
Mr Walshe, who will lead an anti-Mandelson protest outside Government Buildings today at noon before he meets the French leader, said he would thank Mr Sarkozy for his support of European farming and the food industry.
"I will explain the Taoiseach's veto commitment to Irish farmers and I will urge him as president of the European Council to oppose Mandelson's sell-out next week in Geneva," he added in a statement issued yesterday. "I will also explain to President Sarkozy that if the WTO deal on the table this week were to go through, it would profoundly damage support in rural Ireland for a future Lisbon referendum," he said.
Later on RTÉ's This Week programme, Mr Walshe said he believed Ireland would be asked to vote again on the Lisbon Treaty.
"That decision has not been made, yet I think there will be some effort for Ireland to continue to be part of the European project at some stage," he said.
Mr Walshe said that in the past the French president had spoken out quite strongly against what Mr Mandelson was doing in the WTO talks, and he wanted a continuation of that position.
"I will be asking President Sarkozy to keep in mind the attitude of rural Ireland with regard to any future support for the whole European ideal . . . will be profoundly damaged if Mandelson gets his way," said Mr Walshe.
He said he would also be telling Mr Sarkozy that rural people across Ireland, and farmers in particular, had placed their confidence in the Taoiseach's assurance over use of a veto in the world trade talks on June 3rd.
"Rural people voted in huge numbers in favour of the treaty the last time out.
"Any survey taken has shown that in excess of two-thirds of farmers voted Yes in the treaty, far bigger than any other sector of the community.
"But the threat of the WTO has not gone away, and the decisions likely to be made in Geneva this coming week will have a profound effect on the attitude of rural communities across this country in regard to any future Lisbon vote," the IFA president said.
In his press statement Mr Walshe said: "There is no doubt the WTO deal weighed heavily on farmers' minds during the Lisbon referendum debate. As far as farmers are concerned, the veto commitment from Taoiseach Brian Cowen is sacrosanct and they voted for Lisbon on that basis."
The IFA has said a WTO deal would cost the Irish economy €4 billion per annum in losses; 50,000 farmers would be put out of business and 50,000 jobs would be lost in food processing and agricultural services.
Farmers carrying banners in French will be at Government Buildings to bring this message to Mr Sarkozy.
The IFA has also taken out full page adverts in national newspapers highlighting Mr Cowen's commitment to veto a WTO deal that would be bad for farmers.