The Minister for Agriculture has said his department is aware of a number of clusters of Covid-19 at meat processing plants in Ireland.
Michael Creed was speaking in the Dáil and was responding to questions on the virus.
He said that there were six cases, adding that there were "five in processing plants, one in a de-boning plant".
Mr Creed was responding to a question from Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley, who raised concerns about social distancing at a meat plant.
The Laois-Offaly TD said there were significant concerns about social distancing at the plant, where he alleged there had been 120 cases of the virus confirmed.
Mr Creed told the Dáil "that is not the information available to me", and he said that Department of Agriculture veterinary inspectors and staff were operating at the plant.
The minister said that while the food production sector was important, it was "secondary" to the safety of workers in meat plants.
The Dáil also heard repeated calls for the European Commission to do more to help Irish farmers who have lost income due to Covid-19.
Fianna Fáil TD Charlie McConalogue said the response had been totally insufficient and he said farmers were losing money.
His party colleague Jackie Cahill said the €75m pledged was totally inadequate and was just a drop in the ocean of what was required.
He said it amounted to €8 per European farmer.
Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy said the European Union response was was an insult to farmers, adding that it was generous to describe the Government and EU response as pathetic.
He said the minister had referred to other departments' schemes, frontloading payments and reliance on the EU.
Mr Creed acknowledged that the beef sector, in particular, had been badly hit and he agreed the EU response had been inadequate.
He said they had emphasised the "common" in the Common Agricultural Policy and tried to galvanise support on a common approach.
They would continue applying maximum pressure, including at the EU agriculture ministers' meeting next month.
