Paula Hynes: Why there will be no winner in the Bord Bia standoff

'There have been many wild accusations circulating on social media surrounding the use of Brazilian beef, which are not one bit helpful to the situation.'

'As farmers, we are continuously frustrated at not being listened to by the EU, yet here we are on our own doorstep, not willing to listen before judging.'

While the farm has been hectic, I would have had to be living on an uninhabited island with no internet to have missed the Bord Bia debacle with some farmers this week. At the centre of the debate is the Bord Bia chairman, Larry Murrin. He is CEO of Dawn Farms, which is Europe’s leading business-to-business specialist supplier of cooked protein ingredients, supplying meats and plant-based proteins to some of the world’s leading food brands. The company exports to 50 countries and has facilities in Ireland, Germany, and the UK.

Mr Murrin co-founded Dawn Farms for the Queally family over 40 years ago and has grown the company into a major global player, with a turnover of €748m in 2024. It employs more than 1,000 people, and the company is also a founding member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green, a globally recognised sustainability programme for the food industry. Mr Murrin has had a long-standing relationship with Bord Bia since its inception; he previously served on its Consumer Foods Board, and was appointed chairman of Bord Bia in 2024. He has waived his chairman’s fee and expenses since.