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The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has been called on to do a broad independent review of the beef industry by Independent TD Denis Naughten.
“I’m fully aware of the difficulty in providing documentary evidence of anti-competitive practices and that is why we need the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to do a broad independent review of the industry rather than waiting for a whistle-blower to come forward,” he said.
Naughten said he is “deeply disappointed” at the Government’s refusal to carry out an independent review of the operation of the beef processing sector in Ireland, in line with a Dáil agreement of 15 months ago.
Support
Raising the issue in the Dáil recently, Denis Naughten pointed out that in September 2019, he secured unanimous support in Dáil Éireann for a motion on the beef sector that called on the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, under section 10(4) of the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, to request the CCPC to carry out a market study and analysis on the nature and scale of consumer and beef farmer issues in the beef market and make recommendations.
"Yet, to date, this has not been implemented, as Minister of State Robert Troy, on behalf of the Government, is saying that the CCPC has already considered complaints about the operation of the beef sector and found no evidence of anti-competitive practices," according to Naughten.
Evidence
“It is imperative that we have a separate independent inquiry and it should not be dependent on farmers finding evidence.
“What Dáil Éireann called for in September 2019 is a complete independent review of the operation of the meat industry in Ireland, separate from all of the interested parties, which can make clear recommendations on how this sector should operate in future.
“We have had enough tinkering at the edges by the beef taskforce, whose work I’ve no doubt will be positive, but ultimately will not alter the margin the farmer receives.
“Let no one forget this is the very body which agreed to an application for PGI status for Irish beef which is not exclusively based on the suckler sector.
“We need someone from outside like the CCPC who can compile a detailed independent assessment of the functioning of the market and make evidence-based recommendations as to how the Government may address the current issues in the beef sector,” he said.
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