Tánaiste wants gardaí to look at meat plants

MoS investigation revealed illegal workers buying fake IDs

TANÁISTE Leo Varadkar has recommended gardaí investigate allegations of serious work practice irregularities in the meat industry, following an Irish Mail on Sunday investigation.

The Enterprise Minister said this newspaper uncovered alleged criminal activity when it exposed how desperate immigrants are buying fake identities in order to work here.

Last week, the MoS showed how illegal workers are ‘laundered’ through the work permit system even though they have bogus paperwork.

Our investigation also detailed how staff in some meat plants are passing themselves off using other people’s PPS numbers.

And this weekend when Mr Varadkar’s department was asked if officials would be investigating these allegations a spokeswoman for the Tanáiste said: ‘As your queries refer to allegations of a criminal nature, they would appear to

‘Bordering on worker exploitation’

be more appropriate for An Garda Síochána. The WRC [Workplace Relations Commission] has been active in the meat processing sector for a number of years, carrying out regular inspections of plants to ensure compliance with the relevant employment rights legislation.’

The trade union Siptu agreed that gardaí should investigate some of the issues exposed by the MoS. Last night, the union’s division organiser Greg Ennis also urged both the Tanáiste and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue to meet with workers’ representatives to discuss how Covid transmission can be reduced among meat plant workers.

However, a spokesman for Mr McConalogue said his officials will not be following up on the litany of alleged work permit abuses in the meat processing sector. The spokesman said the department is not responsible for ensuring good working practices and conditions at the plants.

The spokesman added: ‘The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine has no statutory role with regard to the issues referenced and has not received any request from the trade union movement for a meeting in this regard.’

But senior Siptu official Mr Ennis described the minister’s stance as a ‘cop-out’.

Mr Ennis said: ‘We have a worldclass product but we have Third World conditions in many cases.

‘What is happening is bordering on worker exploitation. What was exposed last week by the Irish Mail on Sunday may be an issue for the gardaí but the terms and conditions that apply in some meat plants have contributed to the transmissibility of Covid and it is everyone’s interest that they be addressed.

‘Over 25% of workers in the meat processing industry have contracted Covid and this is a very serious issue.

‘Outside of facilities where staff are looking after people with Covid this rate of Covid infection is far and above any other sector. No one is safe until everyone is safe. I wrote to the then Minister for Agriculture in March of last year regarding our concerns about the meat industry and again in May.’

He added: ‘We have asked for a “Farm to Fork” forum meeting to be organised, so that all the stakeholders including farmers, meat processors, workers and maybe even consumers.

‘I have asked repeatedly for a meeting with the Minister for Agriculture

but it seems that the minister has no difficulty meeting with those in the meat industry but he has a difficulty meeting workers.

‘This is a cop-out from the Department of Agriculture.’