The Irish Co-operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has refuted a claim that it made a submission to the Department of Agriculture objecting to the official recognition of the Munster Dairy Producer Organisation (MDPO).

MDPO interim chair James Doyle made the claim at a meeting organised by the group in Newcastle West, Co Limerick, this week.

“When I state this, I state fact, ICOS put in a big submission to the Department of Agriculture to prevent this producer group being set up. So there was someone afraid of it, some place,” he said.

ICOS told the Irish Farmers Journal that it did not make “a submission specific to the MDPO and any such assertion is incorrect” and “in general terms, ICOS liaised with the Department” on the recognition of dairy producer organisations in Ireland.

An EU regulation on agricultural product markets was referenced by ICOS to the Department, it said.

“This provision ensures that the internal agreements within co-operatives regarding milk delivery are respected and are not subject to external negotiations by producer organisations,” it added.

The Department of Agriculture did not respond to a query on the matter.