The High Court has ruled in favour of Glanbia’s plan to proceed with its cheese manufacturing facility in Belview, according to the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA).
Reacting to the news that the High Court has found in favour of Glanbia’s plan to proceed with their Belview facility, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said that the decision provided “much-needed clarification”.
He urged all parties to the matter to now accept that the facility would go ahead in compliance with all regulatory requirements, adding:
“ICMSA respects any party’s right to object – but we hope that the High Court decision will be accepted.
“The more immediate aspect of this whole question now becomes Glanbia’s Peak Production Supply Management Programme with its restrictions on farmer supplies.
“That very questionable policy was introduced on foot of the non-progression of the Belview plant. Now that we can assume that the plant will proceed, we await Glanbia’s announcement on relaxations to the proposed restrictions,” McCormack said.
The president said the delay due to the High Court challenge is costing family farms across the Glanbia catchment dearly and undermining their viability.
“Farmers are becoming more environmentally sustainable – but that has to go hand-in-hand with economic sustainability.
“The Belview plant is an integral part of that and hopefully we’ll see construction of the new plant commencing as soon as possible,” he concluded.