Ahern hears plea on piggeries

A delegation from the Irish Farmers Association met with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in West Cork yesterday and fully briefed him on what it sees as the impact of Dairygold Co-op’s decision to opt out of primary pig processing.

The co-op announced last month it was to cease pig slaughtering and boning activities at the Galtee plant in Mitchelstown and to close another facility in Roscrea, Co Tipperary, with a total loss of 270 jobs.

A spokesman for the IFA said it had outlined a detailed case to the Taoiseach, who undertook to refer the matter to the Department of Agriculture and Food.