The Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Ireland have reached an agreement relating to current issues of dispute between them. The agreement provides for new arrangements for the delivery of the meat inspection service.

It will be balloted upon by Veterinary Ireland over the course of the next three weeks, to conclude no later than 1 February 2019.

Veterinary Ireland is to recommend acceptance of the agreement to their members.

"We are pleased that agreement has been reached between the parties and we will be arranging a number of information meetings for our members prior to the ballot," CEO of Veterinary Ireland Finbarr Murphy said. "Veterinary Ireland has suspended its work-to-rule with immediate effect pending the outcome of the ballot."

In the interim, meat inspections will continue in accordance with current operational arrangements.

Meat Industry Ireland welcomed the agreement "and hopes that it will see an immediate restoration of cover so that normal processing activity can be undertaken.”

Pay increase

A pay increase of €10/hour is on the table for temporary veterinary inspectors (TVIs), the Irish Farmers Journal understands.

The TVIs, represented by Veterinary Ireland, have declined to do extra shifts in factories since before Christmas.

They say that there is a lack of vets on the TVI panel due to a moratorium on recruitment since 2011. TVIs are paid €64.49/hour to provide meat inspection services at plants. A pay increase of €10/hour would bring their wages to just under €75/hour for work at meat factories.

Reaction

IFA president Joe Healy has welcomed the development and said it’s important to have normal service resume in the factories as quickly as possible.

He added that farmers are facing enough uncertainty without having to endure any further disruption.

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Pay increase on the table for temporary factory vets