Dawn Meats is considering legal proceedings against Hugh Doyle, co-chair of the Beef Plan movement, due what it says is as a result of “activity and threats” made at its Slane plant “in clear contravention of a High Court injunction”.

The processor said that these “activity and threats” are in contravention of the deal agreed over the weekend to end the “illegal factory blockades”.

Dawn has sent a legal letter to Hugh Doyle and the Beef Plan Movement.

A statement from Dawn Meats on Wednesday afternoon said: “In discussions with a Dawn Meats manager on Monday, Mr Doyle said he could only have the blockade at Dawn Meat’s plant in Slane lifted if the company increased the base price being paid for beef.

“This is in clear contravention of the Kildare St deal agreed over the weekend under the auspices of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Negotiations on a base price would be in breach of competition law.

“These actions by the Beef Plan chairman demonstrate that the organisation’s bona fides in the talks has to be questioned.

“When making his demands, Mr Doyle would have been well aware that the Slane facility had beef carcases in storage worth over €500,000 that was not being allowed to leave the plant,” the statement said.

The processor is now considering legal proceedings against Doyle, seeking damages for losses that may have been incurred during the “illegal blockade”.

A spokesperson for Dawn Meats said: “This behaviour demonstrates that Beef Plan's claim that they have acted in good faith is untrue and we call on them to honour their agreement to lift their illegal blockades and stop misinforming the public with inaccurate public statements.

“We are ready to end all legal proceedings provided the blockades are lifted, however negotiations are impossible when faced with this sort of behaviour,” the spokesperson said.