The Irish Farmers' Association insisted last night there were no informal lines of communication or even contacts between it and the Government to restart the partnership talks. The discussions on a new partnership agreement involving the Government and the social partners ended last Saturday, with the famers claiming the proposed deal did not addres their current incomes crisis.
The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mr Walsh, yesterday told journalists at the opening of the Farm Machinery Show at Punchestown, Co Kildare, that "communications are still taking place between the farming organisations and the Government, and I would hope they would lead to a positive outcome."
But an IFA spokesman said he could confirm there were no formal or informal contacts to restart the negotiations. Mr Walsh had said the Government wanted the farmers in the partnership agreement and the Government had worked hard to ensure their continuing participation in the agreement.
"In fact there is a 17 page document in place for the farming community and contacts are on going at official level, and I hope that in the next few days farmers will seize the opportunity to remain in the partnership process," he said.
He said it was untrue that not one extra euro had been put on the table to accomplish this and the document tabled by Government met the main demands of the farming organisations. "I am personally disappointed that farmers cannot see their way to continue in partnership because it has provided a very stable economic climate over the last decade," he said.
Mr Walsh said farmers had not been pushed out of the talks. There was a constrained economic climate, unlike during the last agreement.
"Not all the pillars could see their demands met and neither did they. Farmers could not get all their demands either. But I believe what is on the table is meeting the main demands of the farming organisations," he said.
He said what was on offer was attractive, especially in relation to environmental schemes and REPS. All money available would be drawn down, unlike last year when only €173 million had been drawn down, and €190 million was available this year.
But at the show, Mr John Dillon, the IFA president, said the promise by Mr Walsh made during the tractor protest, that their problems would be addressed in the talks, had come to nothing.
What was on the table was simply "a dressed up public sector pay deal" with the Government unwilling to commit reasonable resources to the sector.
"If this is the case then real partnership is gone and social inclusion means nothing for farmers. They are left worse off after the negotiations than before they started," he said.
He repeated his claim that since the negotiations began, farmers had been hit with over € 200 million in spending cuts and increased charges in the Budget.