Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is disappointing that the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has left the Chamber again. The Taoiseach stated a number of times that there were six farm organisations in the room last week when the deal was made. There were seven of them. Is the Taoiseach not acknowledging the Independent Farmers of Ireland group, whose members are the people at the gates of the factories? I want them to be able to move away from the gates and allow the factories, including ABP in Cahir where 700 people are employed, to get back to processing. The Taoiseach must recognise these people and this is part of the problem. The Minister, Deputy Creed, did not recognise that group and had no bilateral engagement with it. Its members were in the room and they had to go back to meet farmers last night and on Sunday night in some places.

Will the Taoiseach ask the Minister to reconvene the group and ensure there is a base price on offer? We can play around with bonuses and everything else until Christmas but there is no faith in that and no trust in the way the beef is graded and checked. People are weary at this stage. The workers have been displaced, including 350 at Cahir with another 180 to go, and the position is the same all over the country. We cannot prolong this issue. The Minister was lacklustre in calling the groups together but he did so last week. Will the Taoiseach recognise the Independent Farmers of Ireland and ensure the group is called back again?

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