Dawn Meats has issued a statement welcoming news from the High Court today, Friday, August 30, that named farmers in the injunction taken by the meat processor have consented to abide by the court orders.
The injunction granted by the High Court on Tuesday was brought by Dawn Meats against nine named farmers, namely: Max Delahunty; Jack Frisby; Declan Ryan; Liam Cunningham; James Kennedy; John Hassett; Michael Power; James O’Shea; and Tom Fitzpatrick.
In its statement today, a spokesperson for Dawn Meats said: “We are pleased that the named individuals covered by our previous injunction in relation to our Grannagh facility have today consented to permanent injunctions preventing illegal blockading and intimidation across all plants.
The permanent injunction extends to all unnamed persons engaging in the illegal blockades and intimidation at all Dawn Meats facilities.
The processor representative continued, adding that the “illegal nature of the protest activity has made it necessary to protect our business, our employees, our supplier farmers and our customers who depend on us being able to operate”.
‘Threatening behaviour’
“Today’s ruling is permanent, and a welcome confirmation that when peaceful protest escalates to illegal activity, the courts will ensure the law of the land prevails, and seek to put a stop to intimidation, verbal abuse and threatening behaviour.
“It is by growing the demand for Irish beef and diversifying into new markets, rather than through illegal protesting, that the current challenging market environment can hope to be addressed.
It is regrettable and counterproductive that so much energy is being wasted with the illegal protests instead of developing business opportunities.
Dawn Meats added that, through the industry group representative body Meat Industry Ireland (MII), the firm is “open to further discussions with farming groups on their concerns – but only when the illegal blockades of our facilities are removed and normal processing resumes”.
“We are always ready to meet with our farmer suppliers, but those involved in the illegal blockades are not direct suppliers of cattle to our facilities.
Farmers ‘prevented from selling’
“This reinforces our concern that a small minority are denying the genuine cattle farmers with whom we have longstanding relationships, from being able to sell their factory ready cattle.
A sinister development at our Ballyhaunis facility, in Co. Mayo overnight, involves the illegal blockade preventing sheep farmers from selling their lambs.
“It is disappointing that one group of illegal blockaders is denying west of Ireland sheep farmers from the orderly marketing of their factory ready lambs and that they are instead being subjected to intimidation and abuse,” the Dawn Meats statement concluded.