The protest undertaken by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) at the Bord Bord headquarters in Dublin has been stood down this evening (Monday, March 2) as agreement has been reached on an independent review.

The IFA had been protesting at Bord Bia's Dublin headquarters since January 26 in relation to the role of Larry Murrin as chair of Bord Bia.

Five IFA members had also been occupying the Bord Bia HQ since February 3.

Murrin has been at the centre of a storm for more than a month over whether his role as chair of Bord Bia is, as some have claimed, "incompatible" with his role as CEO of Dawn Farm Foods.

The Irish company had confirmed that the business sources some beef from Brazil.

Bord Bia review

The board of Bord Bia met for most of today to try and find a way out of the current impasse.

Agriland understands that the terms of reference of an independent governance review proposed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon were agreed.

The review will be commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2026.

It's understood that during the period of the review, the normal schedule of board meetings will continue, but in the interest of moving forward, the board and chair, Larry Murrin, have agreed that these meetings will be facilitated by another board member.

It is on this basis that the protest is being stood down.

Minister Heydon has welcomed today’s agreement.

He told Agriland: “I am pleased that my proposal for an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia has been accepted and that the ongoing protest has been stood down.

"It is now time to come together to support the essential work of Bord Bia, which delivers important benefits for farmers and the agri-food sector as a whole."

IFA president Francie Gorman said that the full governance review of Bord Bia will examine issues that have come to light during the controversy. 

Speaking about the IFA members who maintained a 28-day occupation of the Bord Bia office, Gorman said: "These farmers are heroes.

"They have sacrificed so much for their fellow farmers as have those who have kept a 24-hour rolling protest going outside."

President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers' Association (ICMSA), Denis Drennan, said that his dairy farmer membership would "undoubtedly" welcome this move towards the resolution of the issue and that focus must turn “immediately” to hugely important matters like Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), bovine TB and the current collapse of milk price.

"We have to get working straightaway on these pressing matters and, God knows, there are several of them," Drennan said.

Additional reporting by Francess McDonnell.