Meat Industry Ireland is claiming that thousands of staff have been temporarily laid off at meat processing plants as the beef price dispute rumbles on.

Hundreds of workers in the Midlands face being laid off due to the unlawful blockade of a pet food manufacturing plant, the High Court has heard.

Peadar Toibin, the Meath West TD, stood up in the public gallery during the call-over of cases and said he wished to inform the court that some named defendants had not been served with and had no knowledge of the proceedings against them