The IFA president Joe Healy has said the refusal of Larry Goodman, owner of C&D Foods, to lift all the injunctions against farmers arising from the recent beef dispute was petty and mean-spirited.
He said it amounts to Larry Goodman giving “two fingers” to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
“The Minister should have ensured that the injunctions and legal proceedings were lifted before today (Monday).
"This was a clear commitment in the beef sector agreement presided over by Minister Creed last month,” he said.
“Today’s events were avoidable. [The] IFA had made it clear to the Minister that the legal proceedings had to be resolved prior to the taskforce convening and we did not go into today’s meeting,” he said.
The IFA is acting for one of the farmers and has been in contact with ABP’s legal representatives seeking the removal of these injunctions.
“What we saw today was a further boiling over of frustration from farmers who see Larry Goodman doing what he likes in contradiction to a written agreement negotiated by the Minister,” Healy said.
ICSA
Also commenting on the protest and injunctions was ICSA president Edmond Phelan, who said the beef taskforce cannot begin its work while injunctions hang over individual farmers.
“[The] ICSA decided at an early stage this morning that we could not attend the taskforce while injunctions remain in place.
“[The] ICSA does not condone physical clashes, but the blame for the failure of today’s talks stands squarely with those meat processors who have so far refused to issue letters of discontinuance in respect of certain individual farmers.
“There is no way these talks will commence until all legal threats have been removed,” he said.
INHFA
Meanwhile, the INHFA has called on Minister Creed to intervene to ensure all legal actions against farmers are withdrawn, as was agreed during the beef talks.
An INHFA delegation that attended the talks on Monday made clear its position to the Michael Dowling that they would not be involved in any discussion until all legal proceedings against all farmers are withdrawn.
With regard to the legal action still ongoing by C&D Foods against farmers, a spokesperson for the organisation expressed dismay at the line taken by MII on this.
“The C&D plant is owned by one of MII's members and no one believes for a second that they can't influence them to withdraw their legal action,” the spokesperson said.
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Beef taskforce meeting postponed due to protests
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The IFA president Joe Healy has said the refusal of Larry Goodman, owner of C&D Foods, to lift all the injunctions against farmers arising from the recent beef dispute was petty and mean-spirited.
He said it amounts to Larry Goodman giving “two fingers” to the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed.
“The Minister should have ensured that the injunctions and legal proceedings were lifted before today (Monday).
"This was a clear commitment in the beef sector agreement presided over by Minister Creed last month,” he said.
“Today’s events were avoidable. [The] IFA had made it clear to the Minister that the legal proceedings had to be resolved prior to the taskforce convening and we did not go into today’s meeting,” he said.
The IFA is acting for one of the farmers and has been in contact with ABP’s legal representatives seeking the removal of these injunctions.
“What we saw today was a further boiling over of frustration from farmers who see Larry Goodman doing what he likes in contradiction to a written agreement negotiated by the Minister,” Healy said.
ICSA
Also commenting on the protest and injunctions was ICSA president Edmond Phelan, who said the beef taskforce cannot begin its work while injunctions hang over individual farmers.
“[The] ICSA decided at an early stage this morning that we could not attend the taskforce while injunctions remain in place.
“[The] ICSA does not condone physical clashes, but the blame for the failure of today’s talks stands squarely with those meat processors who have so far refused to issue letters of discontinuance in respect of certain individual farmers.
“There is no way these talks will commence until all legal threats have been removed,” he said.
INHFA
Meanwhile, the INHFA has called on Minister Creed to intervene to ensure all legal actions against farmers are withdrawn, as was agreed during the beef talks.
An INHFA delegation that attended the talks on Monday made clear its position to the Michael Dowling that they would not be involved in any discussion until all legal proceedings against all farmers are withdrawn.
With regard to the legal action still ongoing by C&D Foods against farmers, a spokesperson for the organisation expressed dismay at the line taken by MII on this.
“The C&D plant is owned by one of MII's members and no one believes for a second that they can't influence them to withdraw their legal action,” the spokesperson said.
Read more
Beef taskforce meeting postponed due to protests
Meat industry ‘aggressively’ prevented from going to beef taskforce meeting
Protesters confront Meat Industry Ireland at beef taskforce meeting
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