Minister accused of ‘tarnishing’ farmers’ reputations

Farmers set Dec 15 for Beef Taskforce deadline

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Farmers who have been demonstrating in Dublin have accused the Agriculture Minister of tarnishing the names of some through comments he made in the Dáil yesterday.

Minister Creed told the Dáil that death threats had been made to management at C&D Foods, where injunctions against two farmers are still in place.

It is being claimed that no formal complaint was made.

Speaking to Tipp Mid West this morning, one of the protest’s organisers, Daniel Long, said that the two people who are still subject to injunctions feel they are ‘being compared to criminals’. He further said that the Minister needs to correct the statement he made in the Dáil, and then the farmers would more than likely leave the streets of the capital.

Representatives of the Individual Farmers of Ireland earlier met with Minister Creed and submitted to him a list of grievances they have with the way they believe the industry is being treated and of the challenges the farming sector is facing.

The impact of the carbon tax and the prices being paid for beef were just some of the issues addressed in the letter.

That submission also contained a demand that outstanding injunctions be lifted and that the long-awaited Beef Taskforce is up-and-running by December 15th.