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Brazil does not meet the standards that European consumers should expect. There is no dispute about that. The head of Bord Bia imported Brazilian beef that does not meet these standards. That is not in dispute either. He is not coming here tomorrow to tell us whether … imported Brazilian beef. We know he did so. We know he has used it as part of his contingency planning, as the Minister outlined. If the contingency planning for the marketing of Irish beef is to mix Brazilian beef in with it, then the Government needs to start

wonder, then, that farmers are angry when they hear that the chairperson of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin, is importing possibly contaminated Brazilian beef into the supply of his own company in this country. He claims that it is only 1% of the beef he uses, and that … know that Brazilian beef is produced at about 1% of the standards that Irish farmers must comply with. It is blatantly double standards from Larry Murrin, and shows arrogance towards Irish farmers. I wrote to Dawn Farm Foods in the last couple of weeks

Farmers feel undermined, ignored and taken for granted. They are angry – in fact, they are livid – because the importation of Brazilian beef represents not only an existential threat to their livelihoods but the way Brazilian beef is produced runs completely contrary to the standards to which they … Bord Bia benefits directly from this and promotes this message around the world, while at the same time the chair, Larry Murrin, imports Brazilian beef through his private company has destroyed the confidence farmers have in Bord Bia. It has done serious damage to the confidence they have

protective wing of the Government. For the head of Bord Bia to be the head of a meat processing company that imports Brazilian beef is simply not acceptable. Surely to God some of the Government backbenchers already recognise that the position is untenable, and the Government needs … head of an agency that markets Irish beef around the world and at the same time he is importing and selling Brazilian beef. The Minister is making a mockery of the position by continuing to pretend not to see the massive conflict of interest that is staring

clear that Larry Murrin is the co-founder and CEO of Dawn Farms. Am I correct in believing that Dawn Farms imported Brazilian beef into Ireland? I do not think there is any question about that. How can someone not see that this is a huge conflict … were on to us, as they were on to the IFA and other organisations, to say that it is not okay to import Brazilian beef, that doing so is an absolute conflict of interest and that we are talking about marketing Irish beef. The Minister of State, Deputy

continued day and night. Their message is clear: their confidence in Bord Bia has been deeply damaged. The controversy around the sourcing of Brazilian beef has only widened the divide between farmers and those meant to promote their produce. It does not stop there. We import over … tonnes of low-quality, poorly traceable Mercosur feed, undermining our own fully traceable Irish grain sector. We all know now that Brazilian beef treated with carcinogenic hormones entered the Irish food chain, and the Mercosur deal would also allow in up to 180,000 tonnes of poultry produced

produce can be put into a restaurant, or whatever it was, and it is stated that it is 99% Irish beef and 1% Brazilian beef. The first question arises there. Is our Irish beef contaminated by that 1% that went through no inspection and landed here into … years ago, taking beef from Naas down to Midleton to put it into cold storage, the same beef we are talking about, Brazilian beef. I am seriously concerned to know, first of all, that he was appointed to such an important position as he is fulfilling

continue in his role when trust has been broken? How can he have any hand, act or part in the importation of Brazilian beef while pretending that he can police and uphold standards for Irish farmers? I do not know an awful lot about farming … imports beef that falls well short of the standards of Irish beef have people’s confidence when he is importing Brazilian beef and undermining the standards that he is telling all the others in the farming community they must uphold? This is, again, another lesson learnt from this

about Peter Mandelson giving away state secrets or a child molester like Jeffrey Epstein. We are talking about someone whose company is importing Brazilian beef. Obviously, there are questions, as others have said, about Brazilian beef, including in the context of banned hormones, traceability and the environmental impact

time, while it is making promises to the IFA and the farming community, it is supporting the head of the IFA bringing in Brazilian beef. It is an absolute disgrace. I am shocked at Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. He is a man who says he has stood … farmers all of his life. He is now standing here to defend a man who is bringing in Brazilian beef. Is your junior Ministry so important that you would deny the people who voted for you? Is this what we get from the Lowry and Healy-Rae Independents

need a full investigation into how many tonnes of Brazilian beef are coming in. I do not believe that Larry Murrin is the only individual or business bringing Brazilian beef into this country. We need to have a serious investigation into this matter, not just in the beef

dangers of provisional application. I have not seen what the Government will do to oppose Mercosur or deal with the possibility of more Brazilian beef, with hormones and antibiotics and without the traceability that applies to Irish beef, being imported here. That is what we need … global food supply chains and contingency planning does not make for good social media clips. Does this contingency planning include the importation of Brazilian beef? The chair has to go. What happened is unacceptable, and the Government has been a disgrace

responsible for upholding accountability, managing conflicts of interest and maintaining high ethical standards. Surely, if the chairman of Bord Bia is importing Brazilian beef through his own company, that is a conflict of interest and a breach of ethical standards. This is a serious matter … board is the chairman himself. This raises the question of whether the Minister was aware of the chairman's company using Brazilian beef as raw material for products it supplies. By anyone's standards, this is a conflict of interest and a breach of ethical standards

them, penalises them and markets their products on the basis of stringent quality checks and traceability. Yet, the chairman of that organisation imports Brazilian beef produced to standards that would be illegal here. There is no ambiguity in that. We all get the message. Farmers hear us clearly … angry because they are being undermined. The public is livid because we are being treated with contempt. The chairman of Bord Bia importing Brazilian beef while holding Irish farmers to the highest standards is a brazen double standard. When we put that in the context of Fine Gael

position of Larry Murrin as chairman of Bord Bia is untenable. The revelations surrounding his company's importation of substandard Brazilian beef into Ireland are an insult to Irish farmers and have created a crisis of confidence within Bord Bia. The farmers I speak to in my constituency … Through Bord Bia Irish farmers must meet the strictest food production standards while at the same time the organisation's chairman is importing Brazilian beef into Ireland. There is also the image of an organisation whose whole remit is to promote the quality of Irish food around

decimated our native forests. Where we have replanted trees we have put in conifers. We are talking about Irish beef being better than Brazilian beef and getting into this big argument. Personally, I believe that if we are polluting the rivers by getting a nitrates derogation

that farmers are hurting because Bord Bia pushed them for standards and, meanwhile, its chair is importing beef. How many tonnes of Brazilian beef are coming into this country on an annual basis? How many tonnes of poultry are coming into this country

from Brazil. Those are double standards and a two-tier system. Why am I not surprised? We heard the concern over Mercosur and Brazilian beef. This controversy has raged for two weeks and still the Government has not done what is required. How little it has done

Farmers are angry, frustrated and annoyed and cannot believe that the Government cannot see the contradiction of the chair of Bord Bia importing Brazilian beef while being the main advocate when it comes to the sale of Irish products. Farmers are not stupid people. They hear Government telling

Common Agricultural Policy, CAP, the Mercosur deal and Bord Bia. Last week, the agriculture committee questioned the Bord Bia chair on Brazilian beef imports. There are very strong views on the issue and farmers are really upset about what they saw happen in the weeks leading

Justice carries out its due diligence of the legality of the deal. Our big fear relates to imports of 100,000 tonnes of Brazilian beef and 180,000 tonnes of poultry that will not be up to the standard of European and, in particular, Irish farming. I want

Brazilian beef. I referenced it several times in my question

wants, to allow for provisional application of Mercosur. We know the huge issues there are, particularly from the farming sector and beyond, about Brazilian beef and other issues. What will the Government do from the point of view of ensuring there is not provisional application? We await

vote that already happened in the European Parliament. We need to ensure this does not happen. There are huge worries about Brazilian beef and poultry, that is not up to the same standard as European, and particularly Irish, farm produce. There is a particular issue in Bord

primary producers of food in this country, says he has to go? They have no confidence in him because he brought in Brazilian beef with none of the standards he insists the farmers must meet to sell their beef around the world. When will the Taoiseach wake

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 738 of 9 December 2025, in relation to the importation of Brazilian beef that was contaminated with growth hormones, when he expects the Brazilian competent authorities to conduct an investigation, and report to the EU authorities

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures in place to ensure traceability for Brazilian beef imports under EU and Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine licence conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13670/26

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the protocols for serial numbers or labelling used on Brazilian beef consignments entering Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13671/26

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to clarify if the exact tonnage of Brazilian beef imports in 2025 is publicly disclosed or is it commercial sensitive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13672/26

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if any Irish processors have had meat recalls, and whether any such incidents involved Brazilian beef; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13677/26

Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if all Brazilian beef imports are tested for banned hormones and antibiotics; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13680/26

Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide the names of the three Irish companies that imported Brazilian beef containing the growth hormone oestradiol in September 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7410/26

Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Health if the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has provided her with a report into the Brazilian beef containing the growth hormone oestradiol that was imported into Ireland in September 2025; and if so, if she will publicise the report

asked the Minister for Health the reason it took three months for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland to issue a recall on Brazilian beef containing the growth hormone oestradiol that was imported into Ireland in September 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter

Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Health if she has had engagement with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland regarding the reason Brazilian beef was allowed to enter the Irish market in December 2025, while the results of the tests for oestradiol were not yet known