Heydon hits out at 'rash decision' to protest outside Bord Bia
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has hit out at the decision by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) to protest outside Bord Bia headquarters.
The IFA, which began a rolling protest outside the Irish food board's headquarters in Dublin on Monday (January 26), has said that Larry Murrin's position as chair of Bord Bia is "untenable" and that "farmer confidence will only be restored with his removal".
Earlier this month, Dawn Farm Foods, of which Murrin is CEO, confirmed to Agriland that Brazilian beef accounted for 1% of its beef supply in 2025.
Farm organisations and some politicians claim that Murrin's business sourcing beef from Brazil is incompatible with his role as chair of the body tasked with promoting Irish food.
Minister Heydon has previously said he has "full confidence" in Larry Murrin as chair of Bord Bia.
Dáil
The controversy was raised in the Dáil this morning (Thursday, January 29) by Sinn Féin spokesperson on agriculture, Martin Kenny.
"We have a situation where the head of Bord Bia is also importing Brazilian beef, and he simply has to go minister. And yet you seem to be absolutely determined to protect the well-connected rather than protect the sector. And that needs to be called out," Deputy Kenny said.
In response, Minister Heydon said there needs to be "a proper debate and an explanation" on this matter.
He pointed to the "integrated nature of global trade deals" adding that there is "a complete lack of perspective in this debate".
The minister also seemed to suggested that Larry Murrin will accept an invitation to appear before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.
"Obviously, Mr. Murrin will be in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee, happy to engage in that," he added.
Bord Bia briefing
Minister Heydon told the Dáil that the IFA "is refusing to allow their county executive chairs and the chairs of their commodity committees to receive the detailed briefing from that very chair about the nature of that deal that is being conflated, that is being sold in a soundbyte measure to farmers".
"No wonder farmers are upset, the way it's been sold to them, the way you're talking and the way others have sold this to them. There is a level of detail there.
"12 of the 14 members of Bord Bia, once they received that briefing, found it absolutely acceptable, because that trade deal, that specific deal, is worth hundreds of millions of euro to Irish farmers, to our industry," he said.
The minister added: "Farmers are being done a disservice, because there isn't a practical and a fair space for discussion on this.
"IFA's rash decision to not listen to the explanation and rush straight out, because they had their mind made up before that meeting that they were going to do that, and to run out and to protest also has played a considerable role in damaging Bord Bia and the reputation, and we all have to work to rebuild that.
"That does not mean the head on the plate. That is not how government operates to mob rule in such a scenario," he added.
Bord Bia
Deputy Kenny said that "the farming community out there have lost confidence in the system".
He said that Irish farmers are keeping to the standards set by Bord Bia and the EU.
"Yet they see that the people at the top are, first of all marketing Irish beef and in charge of marketing Irish beef at the same time as they're importing Brazilian beef.
"It just is untenable that this man can stay in that position, and you know that, and the writing is on the wall, and everybody knows it," he said.
Deputy Kenny said that farmers do not want to be protesting in Dublin.
"They want you to do the right thing by the sector, and that is the problem here.
"It's not a witch hunt against this person. It's a witch hunt against the sector which you are standing over something which is totally, totally untenable," he said.
Minister Heydon said that "the chairman of Bord Bia has overseen exponential growth in the value of Irish food exports year-on-year".
"When the Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures come out, in the next couple of weeks, we'll see another record growth, and that is money straight into farmers' pockets. They benefit from the integrated nature of global supply chains," he said.
Deputy Kenny acknowledged that "Bord Bia has done an excellent job in marketing Irish beef and Irish food around the world" and said "that is not in dispute".
"If you want to call it a witch hunt, it's a witch hunt, to ensure that proper standards are maintained and that people can have confidence in the systems which are in place, which they have to adhere to.
"If you are going to erode that by keeping this person in place, and standing by him, then minister, you have to look at your own position in respect of this, because it is simply untenable that you can continue with this circumstance while farmers are outside the gates of Bord Bia protesting," he said.
IFA
IFA president Francie Gorman has confirmed that he has responded to correspondence received from Minister Martin Heydon on Monday evening.
The minister had encouraged IFA to take up an offer from the chair of Bord Bia to attend an IFA council meeting to give a briefing on his company’s usage of Brazilian beef.
However, the IFA president said that Minister Heydon should meet with Bord Bia chair and board separately.
"The National Council has a firm view that the Bord Bia chairman should step down. This is the position and it won’t change," Gorman said.
"In our reply, I suggested that the minister himself should engage with Larry Murrin to explain that Bord Bia cannot operate without farmers,” he said.
