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A number of organisations have issued calls for the Beef Market Taskforce to be resumed as a farmer protest involving tractors draws to a close.
Farmers left Dublin promising to return on 15 December unless the taskforce meets.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) president Edmond Phelan welcomed the decision to stand down the tractor protest. He said the taskforce had been promised but a pet food company, under the ABP banner, had “paralysed the process”.
He said ICSA would “engage at every level until real progress is made on the issue of the beef taskforce and all the other issues highlighted by this protest”.
Blame
Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA) president Colm O’Donnell pointed the finger of blame at the Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed. He said the minister had “sat on his hands regarding the convening of the beef taskforce which has led to further unrest”.
O’Donnell said the INHFA had not engaged in bilateral talks held with the taskforce’s chair in recent weeks in solidarity with two farmers still dealing with injunctions.
Young farmers
Macra na Ferime president Thomas Duffy called for the taskforce to be reconvened promptly in order to make strides in resolving the beef crisis.
Duffy said: “We owe it to young farmers to move swiftly in resolving this beef crisis and the best way to do so is to reconvene the beef taskforce as soon as possible.”
'Kicked to touch'
Speaking in the Dáil, Sinn Féin spokesperson for agriculture Brian Stanley said: “It’s been over six weeks since the beef taskforce was supposed to have met and there has been no progress made.
“Minister Creed has sat on his hands and kicked the issue to touch claiming that ongoing issues are a matter for the courts and for the independent chairman of the beef taskforce.
Stanley said An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar had to intervene as the beef taskforce had to be up and running again. He said for this to happen injunctions must being dropped.
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