The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine has unanimously agreed to invite the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, to a meeting to discuss the ongoing beef dispute.
Independent chairman of the recent beef talks, Michael Dowling, is also to be invited with the minister to a meeting of the committee “as soon as possible” for discussions on the dispute.
Meeting in a private session this afternoon, Wednesday, September 4, the committee chaired by Pat Deering also unanimously called for the round-table discussions, without precondition, to be reinstated as quickly as possible.
The committee also called on the meat industry to commit to discussing issues of immediate concern to farmers.
These are to include: the 30-month age limit; the four-movement rule; and the 70-day residency requirement.
Commenting on the decision of the committee, chairman Pat Deering said: “I very much welcome the unanimity shown by members today in their determination to assist in ending the ongoing dispute between farmers and the meat factories.
“Given the urgency to find a resolution to the current impasse, we look forward to a positive engagement with Minister Creed,” deputy Deering concluded.