IFA chief disappointed, but warns Yes groups not to play 'blame game'

YES CAMPAIGN REACTION:IRISH FARMERS Association president Pádraig Walshe said he was very disappointed with the outcome of the referendum, but he warned pro-treaty parties against engaging in a "blame game".

The association came out in support of the treaty 10 days ago after the Taoiseach gave a commitment that he would veto EU agreement to a World Trade Organisation deal if it was put to a vote in its current form.

Mr Walshe said his organisation would work closely with the Government and all parties in the coming months so Ireland could "retain its position at the heart of Europe". "Political parties and their leaders who had supported the referendum should not engage in a blame game as this would be fruitless," he said.

A spokesman for the association rejected suggestions that its members did not follow the leadership's advice and vote for the treaty. "Our tracking tells us not only did our people turn out, but they turned out and voted Yes in strong numbers," he said.

"What we were getting back in the last few days was that people voted No for a lot of different reasons - military, religious and local domestic issues.

"You had a myriad of issues which contributed to a No vote but we are happy that our membership took our advice and got our vote out."

The IFA claimed local issues, including protests by fishermen in Co Waterford over high operating costs and quotas and hospital issues in the northwest, were also to blame for the No vote.

Elsewhere, former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox said the future would now be "difficult, messy and hard to figure out". The outcome puts Ireland in "an odd position" vis-a-vis the rest of the world, he said.

"Here is a bloc that wants to lead the world but can't lead its own reform and that's really not a great message between Europe and the rest of the world today. But this is life, this is democracy and we have to deal with it, including when it gets messy for leaders.

"The people here have spoken and I respect the democracy, even if I should have preferred a different outcome," he said.

Outside the central count centre at Dublin Castle, Mr Cox, who was involved in the Alliance for Europe campaign, said it had been difficult to get "traction" on the campaign while other issues were to the fore, but he refused to be drawn on whether he meant that former taoiseach Bertie Ahern should have stepped down sooner because of the Mahon tribunal.

"I'm not going to get into that. I'm simply observing the facts. I was involved in the campaign and I know when it started to take off."

On whether there would be a second referendum, Mr Cox said: "I don't know, because if there was to be one it has to be some way visibly different, arguably different for some reason from the first one.

"The extent to which we can identify X number of things that might make a difference is one challenge. And then to find out whether that X number of things, whatever they are, could find a consensus with 26 other states is another challenge."

Mr Cox added: "That's going to take a long time. I don't think it's going to be worked out in a matter of weeks, possibly not even in a matter of months. I think there will be a lot of sympathy for Brian Cowen. The referendum road is a tough one. No one is going to want to set out some way to take it out on the Irish."