Martin Heydon defends Bord Bia chairman from Sinn Féin's motion to dismiss

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said that Sinn Féin had not sought a briefing from Bord Bia board members in advance of calling for Larry Murrin's removal

Agriculture minister Martin Heydon has vigorously defended under-fire Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin in a testy Dáil debate.

He was speaking during a Sinn Féin motion calling for the Government to remove Mr Murrin from his role over revelations that 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”.

Speaking in the Dáil, however, Mr Heydon accused Sinn Féin of "exploiting" farmers.

He said: "It's a deep disappointment to me that we are here to discuss this motion. Tonight, a political party is trying to exploit the concerns of farmers for their own narrow interests."

Mr Heydon said that Sinn Féin had not sought a briefing from Bord Bia board members in advance of calling for Mr Murrin's removal.

'Double standards'

In tabling the motion, Sinn Féin's agriculture spokesperson Martin Kenny accused the Government of "double standards".

He said that a child being raised in this country "does not have the same level of records as a calf does".

"That's astonishing, but that's the reality. Everything they eat has to be recorded. Every vaccine they get, every medication they get has to be recorded, and those records kept for inspection, records of all animal movements. 

"Has the animal a health plan? Has the farm a health and safety statement? Has the farmyard a layout plan? Bord Bia conducts inspections every 18 months, complete surveys and audits. The level of record keeping and paperwork is absolutely enormous."

Mr Kenny said that Irish farmers comply with these rules and conditions "to maintain Ireland's reputation as a world-leading food producer".

"It is no wonder, then, that farmers are angry when they hear that the chairperson of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin, is importing contaminated — possibly — Brazilian beef into supply in his own company in this country. 

"He claims that's only 1% of the beef he uses, and that may be so, but we all know that Brazilian beef is produced at about 1% of the standards that Irish farmers must comply with. It is blatant double standards for Larry Murrin, and shows arrogance towards Irish farmers."

'Selling his soul'

In his own contribution, junior minister Michael Healy-Rae said that TDs who had criticised the Government "wouldn't know a bull from a heifer". 

He said that the Irish Farmers' Association had "hitched its wagon to Sinn Féin", a party that "wets its finger in the morning and sees which way the wind is blowing", adding that the opposition's "policy is Facebook".

During his contribution, Mr Healy-Rae clashed with Sinn Féin members. One Sinn Féin TD called him "a waffler", while Cork North Central's Thomas Gould accused him of "selling his soul", to which Mr Healy Rae responded: "At least I have a soul."