Liffey Meats appeals for an end to blockades at factory gates

Liffey Meats has today (Thursday) called on protesters to end blockades at the gates of its factories, including its local operation in Taughmaconnell. 

In a statement issued this afternoon, the company said it had 500 employees who were "anxiously waiting" to return to work. 

"We would like to appeal to protesters to lift the blockades at our factory gates in the interest of everyone concerned," said a company spokesperson. 

" We have over 500 employees anxiously waiting to return to work, many of our 10,000 farmer suppliers who want to sell their cattle and over 400 customers throughout Europe and Ireland who are waiting on their delivery of Irish beef. 

"These blockades are having a hugely negative impact both locally and in the surrounding communities, and a lot of local businesses and suppliers to our business are suffering as a result.

"We are inundated with calls around the clock, from farmers who want to sell their cattle and international customers looking for deliveries.

"At the same time, we are also receiving calls from concerned local and national suppliers to our business who themselves employ from five to six people, to those who have a couple of hundred, who rely on our operations to keep them in business."

The company said it was "extremely disappointing" that, despite agreements with farming organisations last weekend, it has seen "we have seen no evidence that blockades at our plants are set to cease."

"We would appeal to the protesters to lift the blockades in the interest of all concerned and give the agreement a chance to work.  This would allow us get the business moving again," the company stated. 

"Every day that goes by, we know that customers are actively and urgently looking at alternative suppliers in Europe for their beef.  The industry operates in an extremely competitive marketplace which is already under significant pressure, and lost business is going to prove to be very difficult to win back."