Mattie McGrath: Condemns Beef Cartel, Demands Living Wage for Farmers
Mattie McGrath spoke on 16 October 2019 about protests by independent beef farmers and sharply criticised industry practices and the government's beef task force. He demanded a living wage for beef farmers, condemned "beef barons" and cartel-like behaviour, and pressed for injunctions to be lifted.
Protests and farmer grievances
He described independent farmers and their families protesting outside meat plant gates, saying they were devastated by the prices they were receiving. He said 600 independent farmers had met and sent three representatives, and that the government had refused to meet those representatives.
Task force and chairperson controversy
He criticised the composition of the beef task force, arguing that the appointment of the former Secretary General as its head made it not independent. He also challenged suggestions about the chairperson's independence and alleged public inference that the chairperson had been involved in programme negotiations.
Injunctions and legal actions
He raised the issue of injunctions affecting farmers in Longford, saying the injunctions had not been lifted despite assurances that threats of court action would be removed immediately. He urged that those injunctions be lifted so farmers could proceed without legal pressure.
Calls for living wage and industry reform
He called for a living wage for beef farmers so they and the industry can survive, and urged an end to cartel-style practices and undue influence by "beef barons". He said the living wage and reforms were necessary for both farmers and the processing industry.
Government response
The minister responded that the issues had been discussed at agricultural questions and defended the beef task force as the forum to resolve outstanding matters. The minister also criticised intimidatory tactics used outside department offices when attempting to establish the task force and said he had dealt with the issue comprehensively the previous day.
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The independent farmers of Ireland and their wives and families protested outside the gates of meat plants because they were just devastated at the price they're getting continually. It's not business as usual now with the government and with this so-called task force because first of all you pointed the former Secretary General of the Department of Minister as the head of that, which I think is not independent. Then you have refused to meet the independent farmers of Ireland who 600 have met in that loan this night week and sent to three representatives. And worse than that, I asked you here last week Taoiseach, even the Fine Gael Council and two others, the injunctions haven't been lifted from those people up in Longford. And they were told tonight at the agreement that they all signed up there, that all threats of court action would be lifted immediately. So are the beef barons going to dictate, day and night, and ignore what you agreed in Kildare, overseen by yourself Minister. They've had their way for 40 years, time has changed, they've found out what their practices are doing. We discussed the living wage here last night for two hours. Give the beef farmers in Ireland a living wage so they can survive and the industries survive as well. And cut out this chirology and this cartel. I'm the Minister for Agriculture Deputy and if you had interest in these matters or Deputy McGrath had you might have turned up at agricultural questions yesterday whether I dealt with these matters at some length. As I said... Please, please, please, please. There were plenty of people who raised these issues here yesterday and we had a comprehensive discussion on them. I, of course, I... I dealt with the issue comprehensively yesterday. I, of course, also wish that all injunctions would be lifted. And I would have felt that the beef taskforce would have been the place where outstanding issues could have been raised with. And I'm sure you Deputy, both Deputies, would agree with me that the intimidatory tactics that were employed by people outside the department offices when we attempted to get that taskforce up and running on Monday were disgraceful. With regard to your contention that the chairperson appointed is not independent, you have referenced, in fact, with regard to the independent chairperson that he was part of the negotiations for the programme for government. Is that correct? What? You inferenced in a public comment here that the chairperson was part of the negotiations. I'm not getting... On the Dáil record. Yeah. The... The... The... The... The... The... The... The... The... The The...
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