It’s time for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, to “tell the meat barons to stop posturing and come forward with proposals to resolve the current impasse in the beef sector”, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).

Speaking on the matter, IFA president Joe Healy said the “time for persuasion is over”, adding that a “full statutory investigation” is needed into the sector.

“This is an unprecedented crisis and it cannot go on any longer. The meat factories need to come to the table immediately,” he said.

Meat Industry Ireland’s (MII’s) pontificating about normal negotiation protocols will get us nowhere. This is not a typical dispute.

“The minister needs to get tough with MII and the beef barons,” he said.

Continuing, Healy said that the minister “also needs to come with proposals himself”.

“We need a full statutory investigation into the sector, further Brexit funding and a clear plan should we end up with a hard Brexit,” he said.

3,000 factory staff temporarily laid off

Yesterday, Tuesday, September 10, MII outlined that 3,000 employees of Irish beef processing facilities have been temporarily laid off due to “the continuing illegal blockades of factories and intimidation of staff and suppliers by protesters”.

The industry representative group pulled out of scheduled stakeholder talks on Monday, citing continued demonstrations as its reason.

According to the statement from MII: “Beef processors have always been open to engage in that process, but not whilst their plants are being illegally blockaded.”