Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin has Heydon’s 'full confidence' after Brazilian beef import
IFA members protest outside Bord Bia Offices in Dublin. Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke
Minister for agriculture Martin Heydon said Bord Bia chair Larry Murrin has his “full confidence” despite protests and demands from the IFA for his resignation.
The controversy arose after it was revealed Dawn Farms, of which Mr Murrin is chief executive, utilises beef imported from Mercosur countries within its products.
The alarm was raised after a photograph was shared online showing a sticker applied to the inside of a fridge in what appears to be an Irish Subway sandwich branch. The sign, dated September 2024, said products supplied to the chain of restaurants were “currently sourced from EU-approved plants in Europe and Brazil”.
When asked about the situation, a spokesperson from Subway Ireland said: “Subway did not source any beef from Brazil for its Irish restaurants and has no plans to do so. The beef supplied to Subway restaurants in Ireland is sourced exclusively from EU-approved plants in the UK and Europe, with the majority originating from Ireland.”
In a statement to the , a Dawn Foods spokesperson said: “We work with global brands who require deep levels of contingency to ensure absolute security of supply. This is even more critical in today's uncertain climate.
"All our raw material is sourced from approved abattoirs that are supervised by the national competent authorities and are subject to strict oversight by veterinary specialists in the EU Directorate-General for health and food safety and cleared for use by the authorities in their own jurisdictions.”
“Dawn Farms continues to be a very strong supporter and customer of the Irish beef industry and remains committed to sourcing significant volumes of supply from Irish sources in the years ahead.”
A spokesperson for Bord Bia said: “We understand farmers’ concerns and will continue to engage constructively, while respecting the decision of our board and the minister, and getting on with our day-to-day work supporting Irish farmers and promoting Irish food.”
Farming organisations have called for Mr Murrin's resignation from Bord Bia, which he has declined. Organisations have cited loss of confidence from farmers as a result of the information coming to light.
Bord Bia held an emergency board meeting on January 22. According to a report on the meeting, it is understood Brazilian beef accounted for 1% of Dawn Farms' volumes in 2025, with Ireland, the UK and EU countries accounting for the other 99% of the company’s supply.
It was also stated in the meeting report that no Brazilian beef was supplied to Subway Ireland; however, Dawn Farms is required to have a supply chain contingency plan in place.
Following the emergency meeting, agriculture minister Martin Heydon said Mr Murrin would continue to serve as chairman of Bord Bia with the minister’s “full confidence in doing so”.
“I completely understand the emotion for farmers when it comes to issues associated with the integrated nature of food supply around the globe. Recent debates around the Mercosur trade deal highlight Irish farmers' unease for imported products from outside of the EU.
"We also must recognise that, as a food-producing island, we export 90% of that food and drink product, and we depend on that very integrated trade. The work of Bord Bia is critical to that success.”
Mr Heydon said it would be “irresponsible to just follow emotion” regarding the issue, saying that there were no rules broken by Mr Murrin or his company.
Following the emergency meeting, Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman said he sought the resignation of Mr Murrin as Bord Bia chair, which Mr Murrin refused.
Following the decision not to remove Mr Murrin from his current role in Bord Bia, the IFA has been protesting outside the Bord Bia offices since Monday.
Mr Gorman said: “I made it clear that farmer support is critical to the functioning of Bord Bia. What has happened here has had a devastating impact on farmer confidence. If Bord Bia is to have any chance of restoring this, then the chair must be removed.
“I am conscious of my responsibilities as director of Bord Bia, and I absolutely believe that it is in the best interests of Bord Bia for the chair to step down,” he said.
“What a lot of those outside our sector might not be aware of is that Bord Bia is responsible for the quality assurance standards on Irish farms. It is Bord Bia that inspects farms to ensure these standards.
"They constantly tell us that the customers want high standards. Yet now farmers find out that the chair of Bord Bia is using Brazilian beef, apparently at the behest of these same customers,” he said.
Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association president, Denis Drennan, has confirmed he supported a motion of "no confidence" in Mr Murrin.
Mr Drennan said the ability of Bord Bia to operate was wholly dependent on its credibility with farmers and that credibility had been severely damaged by the revelations around imported Brazilian beef by Dawn Farm Foods.
“That’s at the heart of farmer anger here, and it’s completely justified”, said Mr Drennan.
Mr Drennan said it was simply impossible to convince farmers the degree of traceability and standards that Bord Bia insisted upon in its day-to-day audits of Irish farmers could be squared with the import of Brazilian beef.
Irish Cattle and Sheep Association president Seán McNamara has said it is now indefensible for Larry Murrin to remain as chairman of Bord Bia after the board meeting, which discussed the conflict of interest surrounding his position.
“Let’s be clear. The issue was raised, it was discussed, and nothing was done. Larry Murrin remains chair of Bord Bia, despite overseeing a business that sources Brazilian beef. That is not acceptable to Irish farmers, and it should not be acceptable to the minister,” Mr McNamara said.
“The minister’s insistence that no rules were broken completely misses the point. This is not about legal technicalities. This is about trust and credibility.”
ICSA members gathered outside Bord Bia’s offices in Dublin ahead of the board meeting to protest Mr Murrin’s continued position as chair.
Mr McNamara said the Minister has now taken full responsibility for this situation.
“By choosing to defend Larry Murrin, the minister has made this issue his own. ICSA believes this decision seriously undermines both farmer and consumer confidence in Bord Bia. It exposes the unfair reality that Irish farmers face hundreds of rules and restrictions, while others, including the man leading Bord Bia, operate under a completely different set of standards.
"This issue will not just go away. Minister Heydon must urgently reconsider his support for Larry Murrin’s position.”
