A petition has been organised to show support for the expansion and development of a new meat processing facility in Banagher, Co. Offaly.

The online document – hosted on Petitions.net – notes the recent events surrounding the €40 million project, spearheaded by Banagher Chilling, where planning permission for the venture has been granted by Offaly County Council.

However, an application by the project’s investors for residency under the Immigrant Investment Programme (IIP) was rejected, with reasons given for the decision including that “the project does not align with government policy in relation to the beef processing industry”.

The petition, which was created on Saturday, August 8, is titled: “I the undersigned am supportive and would like to see the new meat plant at Banagher in Co. Offaly being built.” It claims:

Taking into consideration that this proposed plant is to supply beef exclusively to the Asian markets and the operation will be run by a new player entering Ireland’s beef processing sector, it has the potential to tackle two key areas as regards the current unsustainable beef prices being paid to Irish beef farmers.

This, the document says, includes: the need for new markets with Brexit looming; and the need for competition in Ireland’s beef sector.

“The survival of rural Ireland is heavily dependent on the survival of the family farm. It is heavily dependent on Ireland’s beef farmers.

“Rural Ireland is now under threat and, with a new application to the IIP pending, this is an opportunity for you to give it a fighting chance,” the petition concludes.

It is understood that the aim is to reach 10,000 signatures, with farmers, and the wider public, asked to support the document.

At the time of writing, there were 344 signatures.