Rift between Minister Heydon and the IFA widens

The war of words between Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon and IFA president Francie Gorman resumed on Tuesday, within hours of the deal that ended the five-week IFA protest.

On Tuesday, the Minister stated that he expected Larry Murrin to stay in the chair’s role of Bord Bia at the conclusion of the review.

He also spoke of a “misunderstanding” among farmers of how international trade works and operates.

Gorman responded that farmers would never accept a situation where the chair of Ireland’s food marketing board is bringing in product to the country that is not quality assured to a Bord Bia standard.

“The ink isn’t dry on the terms of reference for the expert governance review and already the Minister has decided to announce the outcome,” he added.

Minister Heydon made a complaint to gardaí in relation to the removal of two signs from outside his Newbridge constituency office, the site of the IFA protest last Saturday.

“There were hundreds of tractors and thousands of people trying to fit into a small area outside the minister’s office,” Gorman said in response. “We co-operated fully with the gardaí on the day, as acknowledged by them.”

The Irish Farmers Journalunderstands that a number of tractors on their way to the protest in Newbridge last Saturday stopped outside Minister Heydon’s home.

It is understood that the IFA’s leadership had no knowledge of this beforehand or in the aftermath of Saturday’s protest, but it is a further aggravating factor in the already frosty relations between the two sides.