Murrin to step aside from chairing meetings as independent review gets under way
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has ended its protest at Bord Bia after the board agreed to an independent governance review.
Farmers had been demonstrating at Bord Bia’s offices since 26 January, with five occupying the lobby since February 3rd.
More than 50 tractors gathered outside the building on Monday as the board met to discuss the dispute.
The row centres on Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin, whose company Dawn Farms imported a small volume of Brazilian beef last year.
Murrin said the imports accounted for less than 1% of supply and were part of contingency planning.
He has rejected claims of a conflict of interest.
Kildare South TD & Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said: “I am pleased that my proposal for an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia has been accepted and that the ongoing protest has been stood down. Larry Murrin will remain as chair of Bord Bia and as agreed by the board and the chair in the interests of moving forward, during the period of the review scheduled board meetings will be facilitated by another current board member.”
The IFA said it had sought a review examining several governance issues and that the chair stepping aside during the process formed the basis of the resolution.
The association confirmed it will stand down its protest pending the outcome.
IFA president Francie Gorman described the five farmers who occupied the building for 28 days as “heroes”, saying they had made significant sacrifices.
The Department of Agriculture said Bord Bia is progressing plans for a new Farmers Forum to improve engagement, while also undertaking work to enhance understanding of global supply chains and food labelling.
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