THE current dispute between the Department of Agriculture and meat inspection staff is potentially more damaging to the Irish beef industry than the BSE crisis, according to Sen John Dardis, the agriculture spokesman for the Progressive Democrats.
He criticised the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Yates, for inactivity. "The Minister must move this dispute right to the top of his agenda," Sen Dardis said yesterday. "The meat plants are now at their seasonal peak, with maximum slaughtering taking place.
"Up to 9,000 workers are facing lay-offs and the country's beef farmers should not have their livelihoods further jeopardised by what is an internal departmental dispute."
The Minister's time would be "better spent in ensuring that the dispute was averted, rather than swanning around the Listowel races and fine restaurants of Kerry with his European counterparts".
Meanwhile the IMPACT national secretary, Mr Paddy Keating, has denied media reports that talks had taken place with the Department last Tuesday. "No talks, informal or otherwise, have taken place with the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, or any other Government Department on this issue in recent days.
"The union remains available for talks without preconditions with the Department with a view to resolving this dispute by agreement. This dispute can only be settled around the negotiating table.
"It makes sense to do this sooner rather than later so as to minimise damage to the meat industry. A resolution to the dispute will be far more difficult if staff are taken off the payroll. What may settle the dispute now may not settle it later."
While no talks have taken place, it is understood that IMPACT and the Department have remained in regular contact by phone. So far the Department has not carried out its threat to suspend meat inspectors or carcass classification officers for their limited industrial action. This involves boycotting the beef intervention and export subsidy schemes.
IMPACT is looking for extra staff to be appointed and promotions. It says the workload has in creased because of stricter inspection rules introduced by the EU as a result of abuses investigated by the beef tribunal.
There is an estimated backlog of 20,000 cattle awaiting slaughter and there are fears in the farming community that if the weather turns wet the prices could collapse without access to intervention and export markets outside the EU.
The chairman of the National Livestock Committee of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr Raymond O'Malley, has called on Mr Yates and the Minister for Finance, Mr Quinn, to respond quickly to the IMPACT dispute. After meeting national IMPACT secretary, Mr Paddy Keating, yesterday, he said IMPACT had made clear it was available for talks.