IFA join Sinn Féin’s call for government to intervene and remove chair of Bord Bia

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Finance, Pearse Doherty TD, has said the government’s refusal to act and remove Larry Murrin as chair of Bord Bia is not credible.

Deputy Doherty made his comments after the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA)  joined Sinn Féin’s calls for the Minister of Agriculture to intervene and exercise his right to remove Murrin from his position of Chairman of Bord Bia and CEO of Dawn Farm Foods.

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Deputy Doherty said Murrin’s role at Bord Bia had become completely untenable after it emerged Dawn Farm Foods, where he serves as CEO, confirmed it sourced Brazilian beef for the Irish market.

IFA President Francie Gorman has formally called for Murrin’s resignation as Chair of Bord Bia. The IFA argues that it is a conflict of interest for the head of Ireland's food promotion agency to lead a company that imports foreign beef, stating this undermines "farmer confidence" in Bord Bia.

Gorman tabled a proposal for Murrin's removal during an emergency board meeting. While the majority of the Bord Bia board voted to support Murrin, the decision was not unanimous, as the IFA and ICMSA (Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association) both refused to support him.

Teachta Doherty said: “Farmers do not have confidence in Bord Bia with Larry Murrin as its chair and they want him gone. It could not be any clearer.

“Today, at Leaders’ Questions, I put it to Tánaiste Simon Harris that he should instruct his Minister for Agriculture and Food, Martin Heydon, to exercise his power to remove Mr Murrin.

“But instead of the government intervening and doing their jobs, Simon Harris did as Simon Harris does - he washed his hands of all responsibility and sought to hide behind the board of Bord Bia. He even went as far as trying to hide behind the IFA.

“That cover has been blown. IFA chairman Francie Gorman has today made it abundantly clear that it his view that Larry Murrin must be removed, and he stated will be writing to Minister Heydon to convey that position.

“The ball is now firmly back in the government’s court. They appointed Mr Murrin, his credibility is now in tatters, so now they must act to remove him.

“Farmers are sick of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael speaking with a forked tongue when it comes to standing up for Irish farming. This is just the latest example.

“We saw it yesterday in the European Parliament when Sinn Féin MEPs Lynn Boylan and Kathleen Funchion were key to securing a significant victory in referring Mercosur to the European Court of Justice, while the government’s own MEPs were working against that outcome.

“Now we have a situation where Irish farmers are being asked to meet the highest environmental, welfare and regulatory standards, while the government-appointed chair of Bord Bia, a body supposed to promote their produce, is linked to imports from a country that does not operate to anywhere near those standards.

“Farmers must have confidence in Bord Bia. So, if Larry Murrin won’t do the decent thing and resign, then the Minister must act and remove him from his position. It is that simple.”