Irish Farmers Association (IFA) president Tim Cullinan has warned that the association will not allow new measures to be imposed on farmers without proper negotiations.

“We were very clear with the ministers that any changes must be in agreement with farmers.

"They cannot be imposed following a consultation process which is just shadow boxing,” said Cullinan.

“In any other sector of society, the Government would sit down and negotiate change with the people affected. Farmers must be treated the same way, and not treated as some distant stakeholders,” he said.

Responsibility

“We recognise that with negotiation comes responsibility. The IFA is prepared to sit down and negotiate with a view to reaching an agreement on these issues."

Imposing measures on farmers will not work no matter how much ‘consultation’ there is, he insisted.

The president of the IFA made these comments following a meeting with Minister McConalogue and Ministers of State Hackett and Heydon.