Fears large pig farmers to be compensated at workers’ expense

FEARS were last night raised that leading pig farmers could benefit to the tune of €1 million each under the Government compensation package while ordinary workers are ignored.

Labour’s agriculture spokesman Seán Sherlock expressed concern ministers had still not come forward with any details of how taxpayers’ money is to be distributed to farmers hit by the dioxin scare — which saw all pig products withdrawn from supermarket shelves.

Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith was criticised last month for rushing legislation through the Dáil to release the first €50m in compensation to processors affected by the recall of pork products without a firm framework for how the money would be divided.