The Tánaiste has told the Dáil that there has been no message from the Government telling meat plants to stay open contrary to public health advice.
Leo Varadkar said any decision to close a plant is made solely by public health officials or the health and safety authority.
He was responding to questions from Sinn Féin's Pearse Doherty, who asked what hold "meat barons" had on Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Mr Doherty cited the case of a plant in Cork where there have been 226 positive cases and it has never been closed down. He said "meat barons" were playing with people's lives in the interests of profit.