Chair of Wexford council calls on Bord Bia chief to step aside – ‘He has lost the confidence of the Irish agricultural community’

By Simon Bourke, Wexford People

The chair of Wexford County Council (WCC) has offered his support to the members of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) protesting outside the offices of Bord Bia. Approximately 20 IFA members are staging an ongoing protest outside Bord Bia headquarters in Dublin as they seek the resignation of its chairman Larry Murrin.

The protest began following the revelation that Mr Murrin’s company, Dawn Farms, has been using some Brazilian beef in its products. Both the IFA and the Irish Creamery Milk Supplier Association (ICMSA) allege that this creates a conflict of interest for Mr Murrin as Bord Bia’s mission is to “bring Ireland's outstanding food, drink and horticulture produce to the world”.

And Councillor Joe Sullivan, who is the cathaoirleach of WCC, says Mr Murrin has now lost the confidence of the Irish agricultural community and should “step aside” from his role as Bord Bia chair.

“I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the Irish agricultural sector across beef, dairy and tillage,” said Cllr Sullivan. “I am also aware that some of the best food in the world is produced in Co Wexford. Bord Bia says its core purpose is to bring Ireland’s high quality produce to the world while enabling the growth and sustainability of producers; I believe Mr Murrin has not lived up to these principles by having a connection, however tenuous, with the importation of Brazilian beef.”

Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin. Photo: Douglas O'Connor

Claiming that the farming sector is being “attacked from all sides” in the wake of the Mercosur agreement, Cllr Sullivan said there have long since been concerns about the quality of imported beef from the South American country.

“There remains question marks about the quality of Brazilian beef and there has been for years, can we be guaranteed that it is of sufficient standard? We can’t. While it may only form 1 pc or less of whatever product it has found its way into that is still too much.

“I would therefore call on the Bord Bia Chairman Mr Larry Murrin to step aside as I believe he has lost the confidence of the Irish agricultural community particularly the beef producers. As chairman of Bord Bia, 100 pc commitment to Irish produce is required, not 99 pc.”