The board of Bord Bia did not hit the target level at which high performing boards should be when it comes to certain areas around conflicts of interest, a review by Governance Ireland has found.

Board members were asked 73 questions on a range of governance matters as part of the review, 12 of which centered on conflicts of interest.

Board members were asked to answer the questions with responses from strongly disagree (one) to strongly agree (five).

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In the executive summary of the report, it states that “the target score (four out of five) that we reference in this report is the level at which high-performing boards should be scoring”.

There were 12 questions asked in the conflict-of-interest section of the review.

Within this section, four (33%) scored at or above the target threshold.

Minimum threshold

A further five (41%) scored above the minimum threshold, which was set at three out of five, and three (25%) questions scored below the minimum threshold.

The three questions which did not reach the minimum threshold related to:

  • Whether the board’s conflict of interest policies and procedures provided adequate protection against reputation and governance risk for Bord Bia.
  • Whether there was sufficient clarity between an actual and potential conflict of interest.

  • Whether board members have a clear understanding of what constitutes a conflict of interest. This issue also featured very strongly in the interviews with board members.

    • Declarations of interest

    In the report, there were also questions raised about the recording of declarations of conflicts of interest in meeting minutes in the past.

    “As is the case with many governance issues, including dealing with conflicts of interest, it is only when processes and procedures have to be applied under pressurised conditions does one really know if they work effectively or not.

    “It is evident from the survey results and interview feedback, that there is variability in how actual, potential, and perceived conflicts are interpreted and applied, indicating a need for clearer guidance and training,” the report stated.

    It goes on to say that “Bord Bia should strengthen its approach through clearer guidance, illustrative examples, and more defined processes for managing conflicts when they arise”.

    Brazilian beef

    One of the areas that raised a number of questions during the protests earlier this year was the fact that the Bord Bia chair’s company, Dawn Farm Foods, had imported Brazilian beef in 2025.

    The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) argued that the fact that the chair of Ireland’s food marketing organisation was importing Brazilian beef and chicken was a severe conflict of interest.

    Larry Murrin, chair of Bord Bia. \ Claire Nash

    The report does not reference this particular incident or any other specific areas and takes a broader view of the issues under a number of headings.

    The IFA has taken issue with this and stated that the review did not consider this, which was one of the main issues that the dispute between the farm body and the State agency occurred in the first place.

    Recommendations

    The three recommendations from Governance Ireland on the conflict-of-interest area in the review are:

  • Bord Bia develops conflict of interest training and guidance in line with best practice, which references actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest and conflicts of loyalty, includes illustrative examples and also a greater level of detail regarding the process in dealing with actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest when they arise.

  • Draw up a more detailed policy and process for dealing with actual, potential and perceived conflicts of interest, including the board deciding on the best approach to be taken, and that all processes are rigorously followed and recorded in the minutes.

  • Training for all board members on the requirements for declaration of interests takes place and that, following this, all board members review their declarations.

    • Read more

    Bord Bia review did not consider the issues that caused dispute - IFA

    Governance Ireland partner stepped away from Bord Bia review

    In full: the 22 actions contained in review of Bord Bia board