The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has told Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon that it will not take up Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin’s offer of briefing the association’s elected officers on Dawn Farm Foods use of Brazilian beef.
Rather, the IFA is sticking to its guns in seeking the resignation of Murrin from Bord Bia’s board.
It has also said that the controversy has developed with farmers now protesting outside Bord Bia’s offices, Bord Bia having had to cancel quality assurance meetings with farming organisations and both opposition and Government TDs having expressed no confidence in Murrin.
Dawn Farm Foods – of which Murrin is managing director – stated nine days ago that it imported Brazilian beef last year, which prompted calls for his resignation from Bord Bia’s board from the IFA and others.
IFA president Francie Gorman said on Tuesday that he had received correspondence from Minister Heydon urging him to allow Murrin to give an account of his company’s use of Brazilian beef to the IFA’s national council.
“I advised the minister that I had declined this offer at the board meeting last Thursday,” Gorman commented.
“The national council has a firm view that the Bord Bia chairman should step down. This is the position and it won’t change.
“In our reply, I suggested that the minister himself should engage with Larry Murrin to explain that Bord Bia cannot operate without farmers.”
Bord Bia has since told the Irish Farmers Journal that it wants the IFA to meet with representatives of Bord Bia in a bid to end the stalemate.
“On Monday evening, Bord Bia wrote to both farmer organisations on the board, requesting a meeting of senior representatives to discuss the impasse and possible solutions, as soon as possible,” a Bord Bia spokesperson said.
“The IFA declined to engage until such time as the chair is no longer in office.
“Within Bord Bia's request, we reiterated the chair's offer to address the IFA national council. Bord Bia remain open to constructive dialogue and finding a resolution.”
Board denied vote, IFA says
Gorman’s statement comes three days into an IFA protest outside Bord Bia’s headquarters in Dublin, with the IFA saying it will not leave until Murrin resigns or is removed from his position by Minister Heydon.
The protest follows a Bord Bia board meeting on Thursday that discussed the Murrin controversy and where the IFA and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) – which sit on the board – sought to have the board remove the chairman.
“At the board meeting last week, no vote was taken,” Gorman continued.
“I made a proposal that the chair be removed and this was seconded by the ICMSA president Denis Drennan. However, no vote was taken and no counter proposal was made or seconded.
“In my view the statement issued by the Bord Bia CEO immediately after the meeting, which was subsequently withdrawn and amended, did not fully reflect the nuances of what was said at the meeting.”
Opposition mounting
“A lot has happened since the last board meeting. Quality assurance meetings have been called off; protests mounted outside Bord Bia; and TDs from Government and opposition parties are expressing no confidence in the chair,” Gorman also said.
“The minister and the board cannot ignore how the situation has developed.
“I think the minister needs to sit down with the board members and the chair, separately, to resolve this matter before any more damage is done to Bord Bia.”
Read more
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Taoiseach backs Murrin amid mounting Bord Bia controversy
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has told Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon that it will not take up Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin’s offer of briefing the association’s elected officers on Dawn Farm Foods use of Brazilian beef.
Rather, the IFA is sticking to its guns in seeking the resignation of Murrin from Bord Bia’s board.
It has also said that the controversy has developed with farmers now protesting outside Bord Bia’s offices, Bord Bia having had to cancel quality assurance meetings with farming organisations and both opposition and Government TDs having expressed no confidence in Murrin.
Dawn Farm Foods – of which Murrin is managing director – stated nine days ago that it imported Brazilian beef last year, which prompted calls for his resignation from Bord Bia’s board from the IFA and others.
IFA president Francie Gorman said on Tuesday that he had received correspondence from Minister Heydon urging him to allow Murrin to give an account of his company’s use of Brazilian beef to the IFA’s national council.
“I advised the minister that I had declined this offer at the board meeting last Thursday,” Gorman commented.
“The national council has a firm view that the Bord Bia chairman should step down. This is the position and it won’t change.
“In our reply, I suggested that the minister himself should engage with Larry Murrin to explain that Bord Bia cannot operate without farmers.”
Bord Bia has since told the Irish Farmers Journal that it wants the IFA to meet with representatives of Bord Bia in a bid to end the stalemate.
“On Monday evening, Bord Bia wrote to both farmer organisations on the board, requesting a meeting of senior representatives to discuss the impasse and possible solutions, as soon as possible,” a Bord Bia spokesperson said.
“The IFA declined to engage until such time as the chair is no longer in office.
“Within Bord Bia's request, we reiterated the chair's offer to address the IFA national council. Bord Bia remain open to constructive dialogue and finding a resolution.”
Board denied vote, IFA says
Gorman’s statement comes three days into an IFA protest outside Bord Bia’s headquarters in Dublin, with the IFA saying it will not leave until Murrin resigns or is removed from his position by Minister Heydon.
The protest follows a Bord Bia board meeting on Thursday that discussed the Murrin controversy and where the IFA and the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers’ Association (ICMSA) – which sit on the board – sought to have the board remove the chairman.
“At the board meeting last week, no vote was taken,” Gorman continued.
“I made a proposal that the chair be removed and this was seconded by the ICMSA president Denis Drennan. However, no vote was taken and no counter proposal was made or seconded.
“In my view the statement issued by the Bord Bia CEO immediately after the meeting, which was subsequently withdrawn and amended, did not fully reflect the nuances of what was said at the meeting.”
Opposition mounting
“A lot has happened since the last board meeting. Quality assurance meetings have been called off; protests mounted outside Bord Bia; and TDs from Government and opposition parties are expressing no confidence in the chair,” Gorman also said.
“The minister and the board cannot ignore how the situation has developed.
“I think the minister needs to sit down with the board members and the chair, separately, to resolve this matter before any more damage is done to Bord Bia.”
Read more
IFA protesting at Bord Bia head office in Dublin
Bord Bia meetings cancelled next week as Murrin controversy continues
Bord Bia chair in hot water over Brazilian beef imports
Mary Lou McDonald writes to Taoiseach seeking Bord Bia chair’s resignation
Taoiseach backs Murrin amid mounting Bord Bia controversy
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