The Government’s decision to stand by Larry Murrin as chairman of Bord Bia is “crystal clear” and “not going to change”, the Minister for Agriculture has said.
Martin Heydon made his comments as members of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) continued their protest at the food board’s headquarters amid controversy over the importation of Brazilian beef by Murrin’s company, Dawn Farms. The IFA has called for Murrin to resign over the matter.
Importation of Brazilian beef is contentious against the backdrop of farmers’ opposition to the Mercosur trade deal between the European Union and some South American countries, including Brazil. Farmers here are concerned they have to meet more stringent quality standards than those in Brazil.
Murrin defended his company’s importation of Brazilian beef at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture earlier this month, saying Dawn Farms is a “global food business” that “must always ensure continuous food supply to our customers, no matter the circumstance”. The company imported less than 1 per cent of its beef from Brazil in 2025, the committee was told.
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He also rejected claims raised at the committee that Dawn Farms’s limited use of Brazilian beef represented a conflict of interest with his role as chairman of Bord Bia, the State agency tasked with promoting Irish food.
The Government last week defeated a Sinn Féin Dáil motion calling for Murrin to be removed as chairman.
A meeting was held last Friday between various farming organisations, including the IFA, and Heydon to discuss the dispute.
The Department of Agriculture later said Bord Bia had committed to “revisit the focus on farmer experiences with [quality assurance] audits” and to set up a farmer forum to improve engagement. The Department also said Bord Bia was committed to an information campaign to “better inform the general public about the Origin Green and Quality Assurance schemes and what that means for consumers”.
After the meeting, the IFA released a statement saying that, according to its president Francie Gorman, Heydon “refused to make any proposal to resolve the substantive issue around the loss of farmer confidence in the chair of Bord Bia”.
Questioned on the matter by reporters at a press conference about the fisheries sector, Heydon said there had been “detailed debate” at the five-hour meeting on Friday.
He said the measures Bord Bia committed to were “very significant interventions”.
The Minister also said the Government’s position backing Murrin to continue as Bord Bia chairman has been “absolutely crystal clear, that hasn’t changed and it’s not going to change”.
Heydon added: “The points of concern that farmers have raised around that audit experience is something I believe we can make progress on.”
He said the audit process “can be stressful”, but the 55,000 farmers who go through the process “do so to get the best possible return for their produce”.
Asked how the dispute with the IFA can end, Heydon said Friday’s lengthy meeting was an example of his “commitment to working on the issues that have been raised here, while recognising there are certain issues that Government cannot and will not move on”. He said it is in everyone’s interest that “we just de-escalate any protest that’s happening”.
Minister of State for Fisheries Timmy Dooley said there is an opportunity for farmers to “gain something out of this” now that “dialogue has opened up”.
“We now need to move on. Farmers need to move on,” added Dooley. “They’re in the middle of the calving season. It’s a really busy time for them and they want to see progress on the audits.
“The Minister has opened up that opportunity and I think collectively now we need to engage with what’s in the best interest of farmers."
Heydon and Dooley were speaking in advance of a meeting of a new taskforce, the Food Vision Seafood Sector Group, which was set up after the European Union cut fishing quotas for this year.
Dooley said the cuts to EU member states’ quotas came after scientific advice showed “a very significant decline in fish stocks, particularly in the Atlantic and, in particular, species that are very important to the Irish pelagic sector, such as mackerel and blue whiting”.
He said the Government is working on proposals to support the fisheries industry and the new taskforce is “engaging with all the stakeholders within that sector”.
Heydon and Dooley also announced €27 million in funding for the upgrading of fisheries harbours around the State, including €5.8 million for Castletownbere, Co Cork, and €5.5 million for Howth.
