Dáil debates
Tuesday, 19 October 2004
Industrial Disputes.
8:00 pm
Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate with my colleagues. This problem could escalate into a serious situation and I entreat the Minister to involve himself in any way he can. Without telling the Minister what to do, there is a need for intervention at ministerial level to break the logjam.
It is a serious situation for the growers in the area. This was a good farming area but with changes in farming and due to circumstances in the area, farming has deteriorated to an extent. These people depend for their livelihood on the rearing and finishing of chickens. Historically, this has been a good business for farmers in the area. Any hint of it being endangered would have serious consequences for the farmers concerned and for west Limerick.
There are uneconomic margins for growing chickens at present, as my colleagues mentioned. The producers are only getting 30 cent per bird and need 40 cent per bird to make the work viable. They do not have the option of going elsewhere because there is no competition. The growers have jointly invested millions of euro in chicken production facilities in the hinterland of Castlemahon and it has provided a viable living for them. To interfere with or endanger production now would have serious consequences. I entreat the Minister to use his good offices to intervene in the dispute.
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