ICSA calls for Yes vote in referendum

Supporters of the Lisbon Treaty got another boost today when a third farmers' organisation voted to recommend a Yes vote in the forthcoming referendum.

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ISCA) national executive voted in favour of supporting the treaty by a majority of 59 per cent to 41 per cent at a meeting held last night.

Earlier this week, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA), which is the country's largest farmers group, called on members and their families to vote in favour of the Lisbon Treaty after Taoiseach Brian Cowen gave a commitment that he would veto EU agreement to a World Trade Agreement (WTO) deal if it was put to a vote in its current form.

The IFA had previously declined to recommend a Yes vote in the absence of a Government commitment to veto the WTO deal that it claims would be damaging to Irish agriculture.

On Sunday, the country's second largest farmers organisation, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA) also decided to recommend a Yes vote in the Lisbon referendum to its members.

This followed a meeting with the Taoiseach at which he assured them that the Government would not accept a WTO deal that was unbalanced and undermined farmers' interests.

ICSA president Malcolm Thompson said he hoped the efforts put in to achieving a 'yes' vote by all the main political parties would be matched by their efforts in fighting for a better deal for farmers at WTO, EU and national level.

The Irish Alliance for Europe welcomed the ICSA's decision to support the Treaty.

"We very much welcome the decison of Malcolm Thompson and his colleagues to join the other farming organisations in calling for a Yes vote," said Ken Curtin, campaign coordinator of the Alliance.

"We are also impressed by the margin of the decison considering Malcolm's membership would be potentially very big losers if Mandelson's  proposals were implemented. However, they obviously could see like their colleagues in IFA, ICMSA and Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS), that a Yes vote is in the interest of rural Ireland and will very much strengthen our hand in relation to WTO and other future negotiations," he added.