HERE IS THEJOURNAL.IE’s comprehensive guide to what’s happening in the political world this morning.

Everyone’s talking about…

Beef farmers and representatives from meat processing factories are set to meet with Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney today.

The meeting comes after thousands of farmers staged 24-hour blockade protests outside meat factories across the country.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) said that there is a €350 per head cattle price gap between what is paid to farmers in the UK and Ireland.

Speaking on Prime Time last night, the head of Meat Industry Ireland Ciaran Fitzgerald stated that the protests would result in losses of €10-15 million for factories. He noted that farmers have had “a very tough year” with prices dropping about 10-12%, but said they had increased by 40% in the previous five years.

IFA National Livestock Chairman Henry Burns said farmers are “very angry with the failure of the Minister of Agriculture Simon Coveney to tackle the factories on the beef issues that have seriously damaged the sector and farm incomes since last January”.

He called on Coveney to step in and ensure meat factories implement a fair payment system “in line with their agreement with suppliers“.

The agenda

• The Dáil and Seanad are adjourned until next week, but the weekly Cabinet meeting is taking place today.

What the others are saying…

• Despite the job’s €176,000-a-year salary, the public recruitment process to find a new secretary general at the Department of Justice has been unsuccessful to date, the Irish Independent is reporting.
• The John McNulty saga is making a return to the headlines this morning with the Irish Times reporting that officials at the Department of Arts were asked which State boards under its remit had vacancies just two days before McNulty was appointed to Imma.
• Former Minister Liz O’Donnell is set to replace broadcaster Gay Byrne as the Chair of the Road Safety Authority, according to the Irish Independent.

In case you missed it…

• Pro-choice activists, including Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Ruth Coppinger, swallowed abortion tablets in Dublin, after buying the pills in Belfast. 

Source: Michelle Hennessy/TheJournal.ie

• The European Central Bank will decide on 6 November if the infamous letter from its former president Jean-Claude Trichet to former finance minister Brian Lenihan in 2010 will be released.
• A junior minister said it's a good thing that many politicians have a “healthy appetite” for being in the media. 
• The Department of Foreign Affairs is having trouble selling off its stash of fancy wine. 

On the Twitter machine…

Is it that time of year already?

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