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Independent TD Mattie McGrath, who was at the protests in the AIPB Meat Processing Plant in Cahir, said that the countrywide protests by beef farmers point to the failure of the Government's strategy to come to grips with the crisis.
He said that the issue has been gaining momentum since February, when farmers went to the Dail with their protest and he argued that the viability of the beef sector has been destabilised.
Deputy McGrath said that over the past year, UK retailers have been systematically enforcing specifications aimed entirely at gaining a competitive commercial advantage, to the detriment of the Irish beef farmers.
He said that this is leaving farmers with no choice but to sell their livestock at significantly reduced prices.
"It is a crisis being deliberately generated by the industry with scant regard for the ability of farmers to sustain their livelihoods. It is my hope that the protests, which are peaceful and the last resort for all of us, will finally awaken the Government to the true nature of the crisis and force it to intervene more effectively, before the beef sector goes beyond the point of no return,” he concluded.
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