Peace talks aimed at ending the six-day blockade of meat plants by the Irish Farmers' Association will continue tomorrow, the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, said last night after talks at his Department.
The Minister said there had been a narrowing of the gap between the two sides - the Irish Meat Association representing the meat plants and the IFA - on the vexed issue of cattle prices. But, he added, "there is still some distance to go".
Mr Walsh, who had chaired the 10 hours of discussions over the weekend, said he "knew the dispute would have to end - nobody said it would be easy". .
As the talks adjourned, it emerged that the IFA blockade of 40 plants, which is costing it £100,000 a day in fines, will continue. The issue will be heard again in the High Court before Mr Justice O'Donovan at 11 a.m. today.
Mr Tom Parlon, the IFA president, pressed on the continuing picketing of meat plants, said a great deal would depend on the outcome of the court hearing.
He said he was disappointed at the lack of progress on the price issue, but while the factories did not move on this, there was "a clear agreement that prices should rise", he said.
However, he confirmed that the decision to seek 90p a pound for cattle stood, and that the blockades would continue during the court hearing today.
He said the Minister's intervention had been quite helpful and had prevented them from walking out.
There was a high level of support, even in urban areas, for the organisation's campaign, despite its breaching a court order, he said.
Mr Parlon added that the organisation would defend itself stoutly in court today on the grounds that the levy imposed by the factories was illegal and because of their belief that a price-fixing cartel operated.
Mr Tom McAndrew, chairman of the IMA, said the organisation had worked very hard to find a solution.
"It is unfortunate that the illegal blockades remain in place and that markets and customers are being lost."
He said they were now in the second week of the dispute and the organisation would be pursuing its case through the courts in the morning. He would not say what issues would be taken up.
The weekend peace talks chaired by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, made some progress on Saturday night, but were close to breakdown last night.
The strike arose over the imposition of a £1.80 veterinary inspection fee, which the meat plants had passed on directly to the farmers.
Yesterday the IFA used the blockades to show solidarity when hundreds of families joined their men-folk.
The largest turnout was in Bunclody, Co Wexford, where more than 2,500 people took part. The meeting was addressed by local TDs, Mr Ivan Yates and Mr Sean Browne.