THE president of the Irish Farmers' Association, Mr John Donnelly, has rejected suggestions that its campaign to reassure consumers about the quality of Irish beef was "too little too late".
However, he admitted that the problems created by the BSE crisis had made the need for a quality assurance scheme more urgent. He added that the IFA had been seeking the main "element, the traceability of animals, for many years.
The organisation has placed advertisements in today's national newspapers outlining the need for such an assurance scheme, a declaration of ingredients of animal food. It also criticises illegal practices in livestock production.
Pressed about his attitude to farmers who used illegal growth promoters and clenbuterol (angel dust) on their cattle, Mr Donnelly said they had no place in farming and should face the full rigours of the law.
"It is unfortunate that most of the illegal drugs cases coming before the courts happened some years ago, but that is the way it is," said Mr Donnelly.
However, there was no ambiguity in the IFA about those who used illegal drugs and the organisation had a policy of expelling people who were convicted of such activity.
The chairman of the organisation's beef committee, Mr Raymond O'Malley, said people who used illegal drugs on animals were criminals and should be treated as such. "I don't want anything to do with these people," said Mr O'Malley.
When pressed as to the possibility of boycotting convicted people, or reporting farmers whose animals showed signs of drugs, the general secretary of the IFA, Mr Michael Berkery, said actions like that verged on "vigilantism".
"The law is there and can be enforced. We fully stand behind the law but no citizen has a right to try and convict his neighbour," he said.
Mr O'Malley said he had been in a similar situation. Because he produced high quality cattle, he had received a visit from the Department inspectorate which eventually realised it was looking at quality, not drugged animals.
He admitted, however, that he had not been a member of a 1990 beef quality assurance scheme introduced by the then meat board. He said farmers joining it had been seeking a premium payment and there were costs involved.
Nevertheless, 15,000 beef farmers were taking part and were producing 20,000 animals for the scheme which had gained, them overseas markets and entry to multiple retail stores.
Last night, the president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association, Mr Frank Allen, proposed that farmers convicted of using illegal drugs should be banned from farming for life.
He added that he would propose that any of his members convicted of such behaviour should be banned from the association for life and if this was not unanimously accepted, he would resign from the organisation.