THE Civil and Public Service union (CPSU) said last night that it would refuse, to operate the special, EU beef intervention scheme agreed in Luxembourg yesterday as a way of helping Europe's farmers to cope with falling prices resulting from the BSE scare.
Mr John O'Dowd, the CPSU general secretary, announced that the 1,200 clerical staff in the Department who are in dispute over pay, conditions and the public service recruitment embargo would refuse to operate the scheme.
The refusal of union members, to co-operate, he said, would affect the issuing of payments and the processing of essential documents.
The Department said last night, that the intervention agreement was not a new scheme and insisted that it should be handled normally.
The union threat overshadowed the reintroduction of EU intervention after a three year break. The scheme provides for 50,0000 tonnes of beef to be taken into Europe's cold stores in April.
The Minister for Agriculture Mr Yates, has welcomed the intervention agreement, saying that Irish processors could be expected to win tenders for 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of beef, which would take up to 30,000 bullocks off the market.
However, processors and farmers were less enthusiastic about the scheme, despite the fact that the farm ministers also raised the weight limit for qualifying animals from 340 to 380 kg.
The Irish Meat Processors' Association, the Irish Farmers' Association and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association all agreed that the intervention move was necessary, but said that it would not resolve the problems facing the industry.
There have been repeated demands for the reopening of non EU markets to Irish beef and livestock. Meanwhile. the Galloway Express, a ship carrying 1,608 Irish cattle to Egypt, was unable to off load the cattle in Alexandria yesterday as a result of the reimposition by Egypt of a ban on EU beef products. In addition, a boatload of beef from Ireland, France and the Netherlands has also been refused entry to Egypt, where EU and Irish officials are attempting to secure the lifting of the ban.
Officials have also travelled to Tehran in an attempt to persuade the Iranians to lift their ban which has stopped the importation of beef from Ireland.
Meanwhile, Department of Agriculture officials yesterday began the slaughter of cattle seized at the Border since the crisis, began. A further three animals were seized near Pettigo, Co Donegal, on Monday.
A Department of Agriculture vet appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday charged with handling health certificates for cattle with intent to commit a crime. He was granted bail of £100,000.