The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) handed in letters to Bord Bia, the Department of Health and the Department of Agriculture on Wednesday afternoon.

The letter addressed to the chair of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin, said that due to his company's importation of Brazilian beef and chicken, his position remains untenable and requested that he must step down.

It also called on him to clarify whether his company, Dawn Farm Foods, continued to import Brazilian meat after the European Commission flagged this public health concern in May.

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Recall of meat

The Department of Health also received a letter from the IFA, which requested that Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill direct the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) to instigate a recall of all Brazilian meat that was imported after the announcement in May, but ahead of the ban taking effect last week.

It also asked that the health minister raise this issue with other EU health ministers as she holds the chair during Ireland’s term of the EU presidency.

New chair needed

The final letter was delivered to Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon.

It asked him to reconsider his support for the chair of Bord Bia and said that a new chair is needed to begin the process of rebuilding Bord Bia’s credibility.

The IFA said that Minister Heydon should be fully supportive of the recall of product, given that he “pointed out last week in Cork that standards are non-negotiable, particularly when it comes to public health”.

President of the IFA Francie Gorman said that Minister Heydon "should also work with other EU ministers to have similar action taken across member states".