Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

There are commitments in the programme for Government on improving farm incomes and rewarding farmers who produce quality food. Beef factories are contravening regulations when trimming carcasses, resulting in a direct loss of income to farmers because the beef is being cut away. Margins in beef farming are already tight, yet the factories in question are only receiving minimal fines of a couple of hundred euro. Contrast that with beef farmers whom the Department comes down on heavily if they fill out a form wrongly. Farmers are furious about how factories can get such a soft penalty. How is the Government going to address this matter? Is it going to identify the factories that are contravening the regulations? Will farmers know? How will the Government ensure that farmers are not being robbed and such a situation does not happen again?

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