GOODMAN International has challenged the Minister for Agriculture to repeat, without the protection of Dail privilege, his allegation that Mr Larry Goodman is the major culprit in the garnishing of the beef industry.
In an outspoken attack on the largest beef processor in the State, the Minister said yesterday that he would shed no tears if Mr Goodman withdrew from the industry.
"As far as I am concerned, he is the major culprit in the tarnishing of the beef industry and the damage that is being done to its international reputation," he said during Dail Question Time.
But last night a spokesman for Goodman International said this was yet another unjustified and outrageous attack on Mr Goodman personally and on his company, under Dail privilege, seeking a scapegoat.
"The Minister should say outside the privilege of Dail Eireann what precisely he means. The Minister's comments are entirely at odds with the findings of the beef tribunal.
"We know of no transgression other than the Rathkeale irregularity, to which we have stated publicly that we will recompense the appropriate loss to the Minister.
"As far as we are aware no such offer has been made by any other trader. We are not prepared to be held responsible for the entire industry or for the approach adopted by the Minister in Brussels," the statement concluded.
Mr Yates told the PD leader, Mr Des O'Malley, that legal proceedings had been issued on Wednesday for the recovery of funds relating to Rathkeale AIBP. Similar steps relating to Shannon Meats Cannery would be taken within days.
The Minister's attack on Mr Goodman reflects the growing unease in his Department that it alone will have to shoulder the bulk of the £93 million in EU fines arising directly from its stewardship of EU beef policies in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Minister said he was making his remarks "knowing what I now know in relation to Mr Goodman .. . in relation to the very exasperating experience that I have had in files relating to intervention and exporting funds."
He found himself in the totally invidious situation of having to go around the corridors in Brussels trying to defend the good name of Ireland because of the malpractice of the past, not only by Mr Goodman but by other people in the beef industry.
He found this totally unacceptable. He would be unrelenting in doing everything he could to discharge the functions of his office and the wider legal services of the Government, "to pursue Mr Goodman, fully, properly and effectively".
He said his ministerial record would discredit any inference that he had acted other than rigorously against Mr Goodman and the Goodman group. There had been "rigorous, relentless and ruthless pursuit" of Mr Goodman and his company, over and above that by any previous minister.
Stressing that he would also take any other proceedings necessary, Mr Yates said he had written to the Director of Public Prosecutions to see if he might bring any case in relation to statements made about the Rathkeale case.
He had authorised raids on a particular Goodman plant in the Border region relating to allegations of recent abuse of illegal substances.
It emerged last night that the Department last Friday suspended the licence to export to non EU countries of the Goodman controlled plant in Clones, Co Monaghan. This was because of concern about the identity and ownership of cattle presented there for slaughter.
However, the suspension was lifted early yesterday when assurances were given by the company.
A similar suspension was placed on a plant owned by Liffey Meats at Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, but this was also lifted.
A plant in the west of Ireland is also to suffer suspension. Department officials recovered a quantity of natural growth promoters from a vehicle in the factory area.
The Department squad set up to combat illegal drug use and other frauds has been particularly active in recent weeks. Drugs and documents have been uncovered.