Kerry councillor says Bord Bia scandal has brought the “entirety of Irish produce into disrepute”

By Alastair Tibbs, The Kerryman

Kerry councillors have called the government to ask the Chair of Bord Bia to resign amid the scandal over the source of his company’s beef.

Councillor Deirdre Ferris said the saga had “completely and utterly” undermined the position within the agency and warned it had brought the “entirety of Irish produce into disrepute”.

Concerns were first raised by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) that 1pc of the beef used by the Bord Bia chair’s company, Dawn Foods, came from Brazil.

Chair Larry Murrin comfortably won a Dáil confidence vote by 89 votes to 61 after a motion tabled by Sinn Féin stated that the party had “lost confidence” in his position.

At a recent Kerry County Council meeting, Councillor Teddy O’Sullivan-Casey called on the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Agriculture to ask Mr Murrin to resign.

“Our farmers produce top class food under difficult conditions whether it’s from bad weather, red tape, bureaucracy or high production costs,” he said.

“It is incredible that Bord Bia can deny a farmer a certificate of approval for something as simple as a cobweb in a milking parlour or a broken mirror in a tractor.”

“How can the chairman of Bord Bia justify his position when his company is importing beef from a country that has no regulation, and at the same time you have Bord Bia breaking every farmers heart with red tape and regulation.”

“The credibility of Bord Bia’s leadership is of paramount importance to the Irish food and drink industry.”

Cllr O’Sullivan-Casey highlighted an investigation by the Irish Farmers Journal in Brazil that found cattle tagging and traceability issues. IFJ representatives were able to illegally purchase prescription antibiotics at agricultural stores in the country with “no questions asked”.

Councillor Fionnan Fitzgerald described the Bord Bia’s stamp as “sacrosanct” and said the agency’s name had been “tarnished”.

“The stamps give Ireland its good name…when they see Bord Bia they imagine Irish beef as cows in the green fields and the sunshine, eating natural grass,” he said.

He said the scandal has directly affected farmers’ business and seconded Cllr O’Sullivan-Casey’s motion.

Councillor Dierdre Ferris also gave her support to the motion, arguing Bord Bia existed to promote Irish produce and its higher standards.

She said Mr Murrin had “completely and utterly” undermined the position of chair and had “brought the entirety of Irish produce into disrepute”.