ICMSA calls for re-opening of Tralee beef and lamb plant
It followed reports that the premises might not be re-opened by the new owners as a meat slaughtering facility but would be knocked down and sold as a development site.
About 300 farmer creditors are believed to be owed €3.5 million by the former owners of the plant placed in receivership last year and subsequently sold.
The IFA and ICMSA have been seeking the help of the new owners to establish a compensation fund for farmers left unpaid by the previous owners for cattle supplied.
One of the new owners, Micheal O'Shea, was reported last week as saying farmer creditors were looking for as much money as the place cost them, "so at this stage I'd say we'll just cut our losses and sell it."
ICMSA Beef and Cattle Committee chairman John O'Leary, who farms at Coolbane, Ballyhar, Killarney, said yesterday this slaughtering and meat processing facility was very important to Kerry farmers.
When the company went into receivership, ICMSA set three objectives - maximum payment for farmer creditors, re-opening slaughtering facilities and a change in the law to provide for preferential creditor status for farmers.
The sale of the premises to new owners provides an opportunity to re-open this facility as a going concern to service Kerry farmers.
"As much as any other farmer, I find it totally unacceptable that I am left with debts and that I have not been paid for cattle that I have supplied to the Tralee Beef and Lamb company.
"However, the time has come where we have to decide whether or not to facilitate the re-opening of the Tralee slaughtering facilities under new ownership.
"I believe that time has arrived and that the new owners should be facilitated in resuming slaughtering as soon as possible.
"The greater the number of outlets we have for our cattle, the more likelihood we will get a proper price," he said.
Mr O'Leary said the whole issue of money owing to farmer creditors for cattle supplied to the previous owners of Tralee Beef and Lamb company is a related but separate issue.
The new owners must make a contribution as part of a goodwill gesture to farmer suppliers who are owed money, he said.
Mr O'Leary said the ICMSA is pursuing outstanding issues regarding monies owed to farmers and the change in law to provide for preferential creditor status for farmers.
Dairygold milk suppliers, who have had 2p per gallon deducted for not having dairy hygiene certs from March 1998, will hold a public meeting at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, on Monday night next.
Jim Desmond, organiser of the meeting, estimates 1,000 suppliers are affected by the deductions for what they regard as a technicality.
They are looking for a full refund plus interest.
