An independent TD says fundamental problems within the meat processing sector, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, need to be addressed.
It comes after up to 60 staff at a meat factory in Edenderry, Co Offaly tested positive for virus.
Rosderra Meats says it has put in place significant COVID-19 control measures.
Denis Naughten, independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, told Newstalk Breakfast more needs to be done.
"I've been watching the management of the infection in the meat plants, and my fear is if this is replicated across the economy when it opens up next week then we could be looking at a second wave of infection."
"The problem is that we now have clusters surrounding a number of the meat plants across the country.
"Some of those have a scale of infection ranging from between one-third and up to half of the employees being tested positive for COVID-19.
"So clearly the current protections that are in place in the meat plants aren't working".
On average, there are five veterinary and technical staff employed by the Department of Agriculture responsible for supervising and regulating each meat plant.
"And yet in an industry that is being so regulated, we have a situation where we have clusters with up to half of staff infected", Deputy Naughten said.
"I think it's a combination of things: I think there is a lack of information - and whether that's on the employers side or the employee side, how that information is being disseminated as well.
"But on top of that then... the first infections happened about six weeks before a screen of the staffing took place in those meat plants."
"We've seen what has happened in the United States and elsewhere - that the meat industry has been a source of infection, has been a source of clusters.
"So it seems that we've learned nothing from the mistakes that were made in terms of the delay in action in the nursing homes: the same seems to be now happening within the meat industry.
"My fear is that if that's replicated next week, we could be in serious trouble".
