Beef factories need to see protest lifted and a resumption of normal meat processing or they will proceed with seeking a legal injunction, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) senior director Cormac Healy has said.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio at lunchtime on Thursday, he said factories will be seeking an injunction “in the coming days”, saying that they had been left with little option but to take legal action.
Resumption
Healy said that they needed to see a lifting of the protests and a resumption of processing.
“We need to see businesses functioning,” he said, adding that factories were “very close to a situation where we cannot supply customers with fresh product”.
When asked about the implications of that, he said: “Customers in the UK, France, they will go somewhere else.”
MII remains open to speaking to the Beef Plan Movement, Healy added.
Fourteen meat plants are shut, according to MII, with another seven or eight significantly restricted.
Talks attempt
On Wednesday night, attempts were made by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed’s office to bring the Beef Plan into talks with MII, farm organisations and other stakeholders in the form of a roundtable discussion.
However, the Beef Plan Movement subsequently said it was disappointed that Minister Creed had 'adopted the same position as MII'. MII is refusing to meet unless factory protests are suspended.
Read more
Beef Plan disappointed with Minister’s response
Talks offered to Beef Plan Movement by Minister Creed
SIPTU calls on all sides to resolve factory protest
Beef Plan escalates factory gate protests
Beef factories need to see protest lifted and a resumption of normal meat processing or they will proceed with seeking a legal injunction, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) senior director Cormac Healy has said.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio at lunchtime on Thursday, he said factories will be seeking an injunction “in the coming days”, saying that they had been left with little option but to take legal action.
Resumption
Healy said that they needed to see a lifting of the protests and a resumption of processing.
“We need to see businesses functioning,” he said, adding that factories were “very close to a situation where we cannot supply customers with fresh product”.
When asked about the implications of that, he said: “Customers in the UK, France, they will go somewhere else.”
MII remains open to speaking to the Beef Plan Movement, Healy added.
Fourteen meat plants are shut, according to MII, with another seven or eight significantly restricted.
Talks attempt
On Wednesday night, attempts were made by Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed’s office to bring the Beef Plan into talks with MII, farm organisations and other stakeholders in the form of a roundtable discussion.
However, the Beef Plan Movement subsequently said it was disappointed that Minister Creed had 'adopted the same position as MII'. MII is refusing to meet unless factory protests are suspended.
Read more
Beef Plan disappointed with Minister’s response
Talks offered to Beef Plan Movement by Minister Creed
SIPTU calls on all sides to resolve factory protest
Beef Plan escalates factory gate protests
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