Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice has called on the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, to reconvene a meeting of the TB Forum as a matter of urgency.
Speaking on the matter, the representative for the Roscommon-Galway constituency said: “There needs to be immediate dialogue and discussion. The representatives from all the various farm organisations need to be brought round the table to aid discussions.
“It appears as if recent decisions, particularly the move to issue TB letters to farmers last week, were rammed through by the department without sufficient consideration for their implications.
“Minister McConalogue must now work to repair the damage caused by these letters and bring all of the stakeholders together as soon as possible.
“It was thought that the TB Forum would meet recently, only for it to be postponed. However, the minister can now concentrate on arranging this meeting – even it is done digitally.
“The minister must be prepared to stand up to senior department officials on this matter,” Fitzmaurice concluded.