The move by Meat Industry Ireland (MII) to take legal action has been labelled as heavy-handed, ill-advised and counterproductive by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Commenting on the issue, IFA president Joe Healy said the move announced by the Ibec group is counterproductive in terms of finding a solution to the very serious issues affecting beef farmers.
The president said that MII should set aside any pre-conditions and enter the talks proposed by the minister.
Continuing, he added: “Hauling beef farmers before the courts is not the answer to the hugely significant challenges facing the sector.
“The current dispute is a product of the desperation farmers find themselves in.
The reality is that if we don’t improve the situation of farmers, we won’t have any beef sector at all as farmers will go out of business.
The president stressed that MII should not proceed with legal action at this point and instead focus on putting forward solutions to address the current crisis.
‘This problem will not be solved in the Four Courts,” he said.
“MII should set aside any pre-conditions and enter the talks proposed by Minister Creed immediately.
“The minister should make it clear to MII that he expects the group to attend the talks, which he should convene today,” he said.