The Tβnaiste, Ms Harney, said she is willing to help resolve the dispute, now in its 19th day, between the Irish Sugar Company and beet growers. The dispute has closed the company's factories at Carlow and Mallow.
However, yesterday there was still a gap between the disputants. A spokesman for Greencore, parent company of the Irish Sugar Company, said they had no knowledge of the proposed intervention of Ms Harney.
About 700 beet farmers met yesterday in Cahir, Co Tipperary, and gave an unanimous mandate to the Irish Farmers' Association to continue negotiations with the company and Government appointed mediator, Mr Paddy Teahon.
The IFA said on Saturday that Greencore had rejected Mr Teahon's proposals. The Greencore spokesman said yesterday it stretched the imagination that the company had taken any view of Mr Teahon's suggestions and the issue which divided them most seriously was the one of price. Mr Teahon has now withdrawn from the negotiation process.