Search the record

Visitors Gallery, who represent thousands of farmers around the country, and who are not "emotional", but are extremely angry about this situation. Bord Bia has done amazing work promoting Irish food, Irish drink and Irish horticulture around the world, and it has played an important role in increasing … record volumes. The value of Irish food, drink and horticulture is estimated to hit €21 billion for 2025. We recognise the role of Bord Bia, its important work and the importance of the trade missions it is engaged in. The problem we have is that the Government

Bord Bia has done some very good work promoting Ireland’s food and drink around the world and protecting the reputation of those exports but that very reputation is built on the work that goes on in cold yards, calving sheds, milking parlours and small farms where people … constantly told that they must do more, from environmental to welfare measures that incur more costs, and all of this is under Bord Bia’s sustainable quality assurance scheme. Farmers do it. They comply and play by the rules. How does the Minister think they feel when they

phobail i gcoitinne caillte aige. Caithfidh sé imeacht. We are now nine days into a serious and escalating crisis of confidence in Bord Bia. It is a crisis entirely of the Government's own making. At the heart of it is a clear and undeniable conflict of interest … chair of Bord Bia is head of a company that imports Brazilian beef that is produced to lower standards and is the subject of weaker safety requirements. At the same time, he is presiding over the State agency charged with promoting Irish beef, which is produced

want to be clear that I believe this motion to be premature, not because questions about Bord Bia are unimportant, because they are, but because we, as elected Members of the Oireachtas, have well-established processes for accountability. Those process are already under way. A motion such … before the House is hasty, risks politicising a statutory body and undermines the very scrutiny we all claim to value. The chair of Bord Bia is due to appear before the Oireachtas agriculture committee tomorrow. I welcome the fact that he is engaging in this process. That

this House earlier in the year. I welcome the report following the completion of the independent governance review into the board of Bord Bia. My Department met with Governance Ireland, which carried out the independent review, and the board of Bord Bia on the day the report … discuss its findings and recommendations. The review made 22 recommendations, as the Deputy will be aware, many of which were aimed at strengthening Bord Bia’s governance framework, identified through normal working practices and beyond. The recommendations for improvement in the report are directed at governance processes generally

earnáil nach mbíonn ag feidhmiú de réir na gcaighdeán céanna. Caithfidh an Rialtas an cathaoirleach a thógáil as a phost. The chair of Bord Bia, the State agency charged with promoting Irish food, Irish beef and Irish farming is also the chief executive of Dawn Farm Foods … That fact alone should have set alarm bells ringing across government. Instead, we have seen evasion, minimisation and the circling of the wagons. Bord Bia's credibility rests on public trust. It exists to champion Irish producers, Irish farmers and the reputation of Irish food at the highest

rule for everybody else. Larry Murrin is well and truly under the 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 … make sure people at the top are protected and will not face any accountability. There is an absolute collapse in confidence in Bord Bia among farmers as a result of this debacle. The loss of confidence is spreading to Government because it is going

upstairs and talk to them up there. He can go and meet the farmers who have protested every day outside Bord Bia's office, and listen to them. They will tell the Minister in clear terms that their confidence in Bord Bia and the Government is shattered … controversy surrounding Larry Murrin and Bord Bia is not an isolated incident. It is the latest. The issue should never have reached this point. It is clear that when it comes to standing up for farmers and rural communities, the Government has to be dragged

board of Bord Bia met on 2 March to discuss proposals to resolve the situation whereby Bord Bia’s offices were being occupied by protestors. Following that meeting the board issued an agreed statement. This statement noted that the terms of reference of an independent governance review which … that the protest inside and outside the offices would be stood down. As agreed, my Department is now commissioning an independent review of Bord Bia’s governance framework. The review will specifically consider: the role of the board including the chair; composition, including eligibility, of the board, including

sure the Minister will agree that the chairman of Bord Bia is 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 … serious matter. It is a matter of utmost importance to the reputation of Ireland's food and drink exports and our domestic market. Bord Bia holds Irish farmers to some of the highest and most stringent standards and conditions in the world through its sustainable quality assurance scheme

welcome the opportunity to address the House on the vital role played by Bord Bia in the continued success of Ireland’s agrifood sector. Agriculture and food are at the heart of our national economy and rural and coastal communities. The agrifood sector is our oldest and largest … produce is exported each year, meaning our global trading relationships and reputation are essential to the sector’s continued success. In this context, Bord Bia’s role is absolutely central. Through comprehensive quality assurance programmes and extensive market expertise, Bord Bia provides confidence to international customers and strengthens

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 … Government through the Minister's handling of this fiasco. This is fundamentally about the double standards that are now on show. 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

this dispute. There is hypocrisy and there are double standards. Irish farmers and their representative organisations have lost confidence in the chairperson of Bord Bia as a result of his company's role in importing Brazilian beef into Ireland. Larry Murrin continuing as chairperson of Bord Bia undermines … stated recently, Offaly IFA members as well as farmers throughout this country are really at a loss to understand how Bord Bia is failing to grasp the untenable nature of chairman Larry Murrin's position. We have another Larry causing problems in the beef sector. Can we just

begin by agreeing with the Deputy on one point, which is that Bord Bia is indeed an exemplary organisation. It is an organisation that is fulfilling its mandate with distinction and it is doing so at a time of huge geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty. Last year … Irish agrifood exports exceed more than €21 billion. Bord Bia is, therefore, excelling. Bord Bia is doing an exceptional job. Considering that the vast amount of food we produce in this country is exported, its role is indeed vital. We saw only last week China open its markets

Eight days on, and the Taoiseach still ignores the calls for Larry Murrin to step down from his role as chair of Bord Bia. His position is untenable. There is a massive conflict of interests with him remaining in post, particularly as his company imports Brazilian beef into … Irish market. This is totally in conflict with the role of Bord Bia, which is to promote Irish food, including Irish beef. How long will the Taoiseach keep his head buried in the sand, ignoring farming organisations, parties across the Dáil and many

move: That Dáil Éireann: notes: — that Bord Bia's mission statement is to bring Ireland's outstanding food, drink and horticulture to the world, thus enabling growth and sustainability of producers; — the importance of Irish food and drink exports to the Irish economy; — the importance of Ireland … animal health and welfare standards that Irish farmers must adhere to, and in particular the standards and conditions that are part of Bord Bia's Sustainable Quality Assurance Scheme; further notes that: — Irish farmers and their representative organisations have lost confidence in the Chairperson of Bord Bia

here looking down on us, waiting for decisions that should have been made long ago. Last week, I stood with IFA members outside Bord Bia headquarters where protests have continued day and night. Their message is clear: their confidence in Bord Bia has been deeply damaged. The controversy … tillage land if allowed to take hold. These farmers have been raising concerns for weeks. Their protest escalated to the point of occupying Bord Bia headquarters, driven by deep frustration at what they describe as inaction, warning that each day this drags on further erodes their confidence

welcome this opportunity to discuss Bord Bia. This issue goes beyond any single person or State agency. This issue goes to the heart of how we protect Ireland's reputation as a world-class producer of safe, high-quality food and how we as policymakers ensure the governance … structures behind that reputation are robust and transparent. Bord Bia's job is to bring Ireland's produce to the world. That would not be possible without the work of Irish farmers. The success of our food exports is thanks to them and their expertise commitment, energy

that is not the situation. The problem is that credibility and authenticity are also central to people’s confidence and the chair of Bord Bia has lost that confidence because of the situation whereby his companies are not part of Origin Green, a programme that the board … product? Nobody believed that story, and that is the problem. It is about the authenticity of the person at the head of Bord Bia. It is not about the work that Bord Bia does, and the more the Minister keeps referring to the work Bord Bia does

from the farming bodies around the country. There are a few things we need to put into perspective. Farmers contribute €6 million to Bord Bia. No one is knocking every part of Bord Bia. No one is doing that. There is a job for everyone … weanlings were not getting a good price. That is the bottom line. Farmers vote with their feet. Farmers put €6 million towards Bord Bia, and the Government gives money as well. There is legality and morality. Ultimately, if you lose the dressing room, you have a problem

much of that contract do they think would involve Irish produce? It is very little, I can guarantee. The Bord Bia board met on Thursday, 22 January to discuss the issues raised and the recent media coverage. I sought and received a detailed report from Bord Bia following … repeating that the members strongly endorsed the integrity of the chairman, the transparency of his business and his invaluable experience that has benefited Bord Bia and the wider Irish food industry. There was acknowledgement that there were no legal or governance issues at play. The board had good

international markets. Food Vision also aims to increase the value of exports of sustainably produced and high-quality Irish food and beverages globally. Bord Bia works to promote Ireland’s outstanding food, drink and horticulture produce around the world. Its activities include participation at food exhibitions and trade … restaurant promotions as well as a range of other trade promotions and events including campaigns around the St. Patrick's Day global celebrations. Bord Bia also hosts inward buyer visits on an ongoing basis as well as meetings with key international companies. Ministerial trade missions

agriculture, Deputy Heydon, is engaging intensively on these matters. I thank him for all the work he is doing. The board of Bord Bia held a scheduled meeting on Wednesday, 18 February. Following that meeting, the IFA submitted a document that consisted of seven strands and that requested … that the board of Bord Bia commit to initiating a review process into the various issues that have arisen in recent weeks. Many of the seven strands relate to the quality assurance schemes. These can be dealt with by the farmer forum that Bord Bia is establishing

Bord Bia quality and trust mark is something I trust and look for as a consumer. It means something to people. It tells us that what we are eating is safe, meets the highest standards and comes from our land. The fact that I can trace what … Transparency about what we are eating matters to every family in every community. Yet, we now have a situation where the chair of Bord Bia, an organisation whose own website states it exists to promote Ireland's outstanding food, drink and horticulture to the world

bike shed and there was no accountability. Another €1.2 million was spent on another security hut. We had the chairperson of Bord Bia in. He brought in beef from Brazil. This affects the farmers of this country who produce the highest quality food, setting the standards for across … feeds in to this. That person saw nothing wrong with him having his own meat company and being the chair of Bord Bia. I have been a self-employed contractor all my life. If I was working for the Department building social houses or any other project

Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he is taking to strengthen governance in Bord Bia and to ensure the chair and board members of Bord Bia do not have commercial arrangements that cut across Bord Bia’s mission

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection the role of Bord Bia in the hot school meals programme; if suppliers are required, encouraged or incentivised to use Bord Bia quality assured ingredients; if any data is collected on the proportion of Bord Bia certified products used

Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the plans to strengthen governance, transparency, and oversight at Bord Bia in light of the recent dispute arising from revelations that the Bord Bia chair’s private company imported Brazilian beef for use in its products … concerns raised by the Irish Farmers’ Association regarding conflicts of interest; and the ongoing independent expert-led review of Bord Bia’s operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20943/26

Agriculture, Food and the Marine the assessment which has been carried out by his Department on the impact of governance controversies within Bord Bia on farmer confidence in the Bord Bia quality assurance system; and the steps his Department takes, at policy level, to maintain confidence among primary

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the Government has failed to act decisively to remove the chair of Bord Bia (details supplied) in order to restore confidence in Bord Bia, and to demonstrate that the Government is standing with Irish farmers rather than

Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has engaged with the board of Bord Bia in relation to the report on the review of governance procedures at Bord Bia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52241/26

Agriculture, Food and the Marine the specific assessment steps applied by his Department before recommending or approving the appointment of a Chairperson to Bord Bia, including, the documents reviewed, the criteria used to assess external commercial interests relevant to Bord Bia's statutory functions, and the official level

Marine the ongoing oversight mechanisms in place within his Department to monitor conflicts of interest arising during the term of office of Bord Bia board members, including the chairperson; and whether his Department requires updated disclosures where material changes arise in commercial activities relevant to the statutory remit … Bord Bia. [6554/26

governance framework applied by his Department in assessing potential conflicts of interest when appointing or approving the appointment of a chairperson to Bord Bia, including the criteria used to assess external commercial interests; and whether this framework has been reviewed or updated in view of recent public concerns … regarding imported beef sourcing by companies linked to Bord Bia's board members. [6553/26

Deputy David Maxwell asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to the figures published in Bord Bia’s Export Performance and Prospects Report 2025/2026 (details supplied), the total value and volume of beef, poultry and other meat products exported from Ireland in 2025; of these … whether his Department maintains data distinguishing between “reared in Ireland”, “slaughtered in Ireland” and “processed in Ireland” in the export statistics reported by Bord Bia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23478/26

Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he last met formally with the CEO of Bord Bia and the topics discussed. [65520/26

Deputy Natasha Newsome Drennan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the recent Bord Bia report, given its failure to adequately address public concerns regarding a potential conflict of interest arising from the chairperson's involvement in the importation of Brazilian

Marine the total amount of money paid from CAP programmes in each of the years 2023, 2024 and 2025 to Teagasc, Bord Bia and ICBF; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35534/26

Marine the length of time that the Government and his Department are allowing for the review to be completed into governance at Bord Bia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19098/26

Crowe asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce revised terms of reference for how the board of Bord Bia is constituted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20729/26

Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department can confirm the amount of sheep meat that was Bord Bia approved, in tonnages, for export and domestic market in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20961/26

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the percentage of beef sourced from Ireland versus the UK or EU by processors involved in Bord Bia schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13673/26

Food and the Marine in light of recent controversy, the way in which he intends to protect the integrity and meaning of the Bord Bia quality mark, in order that consumers can have genuine confidence that it stands for something better than the minimum legal standards for imported

Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address the concerns regarding Bord Bia governance raised in correspondence (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12275/26

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection if beef imported for the hot school meal programme is subject to EU and Bord Bia standards. [11197/26

Deputy Paul Lawless asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine If he will review the governance structure of Bord Bia to include a statutory ‘conflict of interest’ clause that prohibits any board member from having a commercial interest in the importation of meat products from third

review date of the Department's internal governance guidance used by officials when assessing conflicts of interest for appointments to the board of Bord Bia, including the Chairperson role, beyond the general requirements of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies; and if no internal

asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the frequency and format of conflict of interest disclosures required by his Department from Bord Bia board members and the Chairperson, including whether disclosures are required on appointment, annually, and on the occurrence of material changes; and the definition

number of times in each of the last five years that his Department has requested additional information, clarifications, mitigation measures, or recusals from Bord Bia board members arising from conflict of interest disclosures; and the number of cases, if any, where the Department directed that a disclosed interest

Flynn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the dates on which corporate governance meetings between his Department and Bord Bia were held in 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026; whether conflicts of interest, declarations of interest, or perception risks were discussed