Beef talks paused due to protestors
Tensions between beef farmers and meat processors continued today, when talks were abandoned amid angry scenes at the Department of Agriculture. A meeting of the Beef Task Force has been adjourned indefinitely after protestors prevented a delegation from Meat Industry Ireland, which represents processors, from entering Department buildings.
The taskforce was established to monitor the implementation of the agreement that last month brought protests at factory gates to an end after weeks of demonstrations. However, there is anger among some farmers that meat processing companies have yet to remove injunctions taken against some protestors.
Meat Industry Ireland accused today's protestors of acting “physically and aggressively”. The statement read:
A delegation from Meat Industry Ireland this morning sought to attend a meeting of the Beef Task Force at the invitation of the Chairman and the Minister for Agriculture. On their arrival they were physically and aggressively prevented from doing so by protestors.
Agriculture Minister Creed condemned the incident in a statement: “It is in the interests of everyone involved in the beef industry that the work of the taskforce goes ahead.
"The taskforce’s remit is to monitor the implementation of the actions arising from the agreement reached on September 15 and offers the most viable platform for strategic engagement with key stakeholders. It was a great pity that farm representatives were not in a position to air the legitimate concerns of farmers at the Taskforce.”
John Coughlan, a candidate for the Irish Farmer’s Association’s forthcoming presidential election, said the onus is on MII to establish what injunctions against farmers, if any, are outstanding: “75,000 Irish beef farmers eagerly anticipate the work of the Beef Taskforce and have placed their trust in those representing them. Any delays in progress risks returning farmers to the picket line.
“I am calling on the taskforce’s chair, Michael Dowling, and Meat Industry Ireland leadership to swiftly establish the factual status of legal injunctions and to bring the necessary clarity so that these talks can proceed. We are days out from Brexit and have already lost valuable time on what was agreed weeks ago,” he said.
