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Leah Farrell

Agriculture minister appoints chair of new beef task force

The task force was agreed to by farmers and industry representatives following talks with the minister last month.

AGRICULTURE MINISTER Michael Creed has announced the chair of a new beef market task force. 

The task force was agreed to by farmers and industry representatives following talks with the minister last month. 

Speaking in the Seanad on Thursday, Creed announced that Michael Dowling has been appointed as the independent chairman to lead the group. 

Dowling, a former Department of Agriculture secretary general, was involved in negotiations between beef farmers and industry representatives in September. 

The task force will be made up of department representatives, state agencies and members of farming organisations. 

Creed said the agreement was made “with a two strand-approach that aims to provide immediate financial benefits direct to beef farmers and address longer-term structural issues”. 

The first meeting of the task force has not been finalised yet “it will have its first meeting as soon as possible,” the minister said. 

Farmers began protesting back in July over the amount they were being paid by the industry for their produce. 

The protests later escalated to blockades at a number of plants, forcing dozens of meat factories to wind down their operations as no trucks could get in or out. 

The factories also reported temporary lay-offs of staff while the protests were ongoing. 

Minister Creed intervened later in the dispute and held a number of sessions with both sides of the dispute seeking a resolution. 

Following a thirty-hour period of negotiation with both sides, farmers agreed to stand down the protests in exchange for the establishment of a beef task force, as well as changes to the bonuses they were paid for their produce by meat factories. 

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    Mute TOP CAT
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 7:51 AM

    I hope the Dog is ok???.
    I presume he was given a Tetanus shot after biting them $cum….

    500
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    Mute Debi-Nikita Rathbone-Rentzke
    Favourite Debi-Nikita Rathbone-Rentzke
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:24 AM

    That’s what these dogs are trained to do in unruly situations. Protecting their handlers is a natural instinct and to do the job that they are trained to do.
    I hope that the dog isn’t punished and put down or carted off to some unknown place and used as a ‘guard dog’ to patrol some dump!

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    Mute Vera Dawber Power
    Favourite Vera Dawber Power
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:14 AM

    ‘ Atta Boy….good doggie. LOL .

    195
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    Mute Brian Bass
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:05 AM

    Ruff day at the office

    110
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    Mute The Animal
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:12 AM

    Bite first…. Ask questions later….!

    98
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    Mute Joe Hill
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:56 AM

    Imagine what the poor staff are subjected to on occasions like that reported. Maybe they should all be issued with a police dog?

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    Mute Paul Devlin
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 10:38 AM

    People in the south don’t know how lucky they are not having to deal with thousands of these marches every year. Fascist nutjobs and their pisshead hangers on cause chaos everywhere they go and everyone has to put up with it because it’s supposed to be traditional. These people are less than 10% of the population but they hold everyone else hostage. Total joke!

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    Mute Roland 303
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 11:32 AM

    Flegs and marches and buckfast and drugs. Sure it’s their TRADITION!!!

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    Mute CPC7
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 8:35 AM

    ‘Dog bites man’, not a story. ‘Man bites dog’, now that would be a story…

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    Mute Brian Keelty
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 11:48 AM

    “Man bites dog” is a film…… dark dark film

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    Mute Caolán McKenna
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 10:02 AM

    Incidentally the media are not mentioning that yesterday was the ‘start’ of the marching season, so thousands of drunken loyalists were probably roaming the streets. And I love when they say the start of the season as if we ever get even a month’s break from the drivel.

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    Mute ipsum oleum
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 10:11 AM

    Is the incident out on video yet ? Its always so disappointing when you see police dogs in action on TV and they aren’t allowed to bite the bum off a crim.

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    Mute John Ward
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 10:05 AM

    A snap decision, I presume!

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    Mute AICS (Steve Tracey)
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 5:46 PM

    The only real question is were those bitten taking part in the disorder or just caught up at the start and hadn’t time or opportunity to get away. If first then good, it’s not a news item. If the latter then possibly questions should be asked ref the control the handler had on his/her dog.
    Be very surprised if they were innocent as generally muzzles don’t come off until its clear that innocents are cleat and dogs are kept close to the handler and a distance away.

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    Mute Frank
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    Apr 22nd 2014, 10:00 AM

    II hope they sue the police for damages.

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