Government accused of ‘playing Russian roulette with Irish beef’ as Mayo councillors urge Minister to remove Bord Bia chair
Mayo County Council has unanimously approved a motion calling for the removal of Larry Murrin as Chair of Bord Bia and will write to Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, urging him to intervene.
The issue dominated discussion at the council’s March meeting, where councillors spent more than an hour debating the controversy surrounding Mr Murrin and the news that his company, Dawn Farm Foods, was importing Brazilian beef into Ireland.
Members of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were present in the chamber as Mayo became the 13th county council to pass this motion.
Councillors spoke at length about the high standards adhered to by Irish farmers, the rigorous certification processes they are required to go through to be able sell meat and dairy, and the wider economic reliance on agriculture at both county and national levels.
They also highlighted the ethical standards expected of public representatives, saying that to hold a position of trust leaders must set an example, something they felt Mr Murrin had failed to do.
Five councillors came together to table the motion, which was unanimously passed.
An amendment was added calling on Minister Heydon to directly request Mr Murrin’s removal, with councillors stating that “it is his responsibility” as Minister.
This man seems to be above the ordinary conventions of corporate governance
Cllr Patsy O’Brein, one of the five signatories, highlighted the scale of agriculture’s contribution to Mayo, noting that 13,640 jobs in the county depend on it and that it brings over €125m into the local economy each year.
He said Mr Murrin is “not fit” to be in his position and as such should be removed as the Chairperson of Bord Bía.
Cllr O’Brien, who is also a farmer, said that for Mr Murrin to stand over an organisation with “double standards” and “conflicts of interest” meant he was “no longer suitable” for the role.
“There are 3,500 farmers in this county involved with Bord Bía, including myself,” he said, noting that the process to get onto the board is “strenuous” and “complex”.
“It takes well over three hours, there are well over 150 questions to be answered, and that's the rigorous test that we go through as farmers,” he said.
Cllr O’Brein also highlighted that as councillors they must adhere to an ethics registrar and are made to declare any possible conflicts of interest before taking on their role.
The motion was seconded by Cllr John O’Malley, a dairy farmer, who gave the meeting an insight into the standards he must meet in order to sell what is produced on his farm.
“You have to have a full record of antibiotics used on the farm, what they are used for, how much [you use], and the restriction of time on it,
“It is the same with dosing, you have to have a full record and state exactly [which animal] got what dosing and how much they got,” he said.
Cllr O’Malley said the process takes “a lot of work, effort and mental torture,” but added that Irish farmers take pride in the high standards they maintain.
“Then the Chairman of Bord Bia can import beef from Brazil, and there’s no traceability on it, there can be hormones in it, and there can be traces of antibiotics on it - my God almighty isn’t that a total contradiction,” he said.
Cllr O’Malley said Mr Murrin’s position has become “untenable” and said he “should have enough on principle to step down”.
If he was the Minister of Agriculture, I think he would’ve been gone in 24 hours
Cllr Gerry Murray, another of the five councillors who brought the motion forward, said Brazilian beef has been entering Ireland over the past two to three years.
While it may not be arriving in large quantities, he said the issue has caused significant concern within the farming community.
Cllr Murray questioned who is importing the product, who is selling it, and whether it is being marketed as Brazilian or Irish beef.
“These are questions that the Department of Agriculture need to answer straight away,” he said. “Once it arrives in Dublin port, do the laws of traceability that apply to Irish farmers apply to Brazilian beef?”
Cllr Murray told the meeting he attended a presentation by an IFA delegation that travelled to Brazil to observe farming practices, and reported they were “astonished” with what they witnessed.
“[They] can walk into any co-op or any shop and buy any antibiotic to administer to their cattle without any medical register any record. One of the antibiotics being administered was the antibiotic for Sepsis, would you believe,” he said.
He also referred to the standards expected of elected representatives, noting that if they transgress, they will find themselves up before SIPO.
“This man seems to be above the ordinary conventions of corporate governance,” he added.
Cllr Murray said the Government “are playing russian roulette with Irish beef,” and warned that Ireland’s food reputation must be protected.
Cllr Jarlath Munnelly added that in political life, “if you hold a position of authority, your reputation is what you trade on.”
“If he was a politician, if he was the Minister of Agriculture, I think he would’ve been gone in 24 hours,” he said.
The amendment to the motion was brought forward by Cllr Harry Barrett, who called on Minister Heydon to request the removal of Mr Murrin directly.
“We have a farming community that produces the best products in the world because our farmers stick to environmental, carbon, and veterinary regulations. Farmers are proud of that,” he said.
“Then to find out that the Chair of Bord Bía, which we finance to promote Irish food, has been dabbling and using Brazilian beef in his own company introduces major inconsistencies, contradiction, and reputational damage,” he said.
The farming community is the backbone of the whole country
He said the Minister has the constitutional authority to act and could remove Mr Murrin “in an hour's time”.
Cathaoirleach of the council, Sean Carey, who is also a farmer, said he knows first-hand the level of work involved in meeting food standard regulations.
He pointed to the many challenges currently facing Irish farmers, including the rising cost of running farms as electricity prices continue to climb.
Cllr Carey said that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, driving up fuel and fertiliser costs, is also having a huge impact on Irish farmers.
“The farming community is the backbone of the whole country, but here in Mayo especially, we are so dependent on agriculture,
“The euro that the farmer spends, there are many more people getting a grip of that euro,” he said.
Following the discussion, Cllr O’Brien said he was “overwhelmed” by the support for the motion.
He thanked councillors for their cross-party support, and the members of the IFA who were present in the chamber.
“We have one job to do as a community of Mayo farmers, [and that is] to bring this message to Dublin,” he said.
This article has been supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.