Mayo reps call for Bord Bia chairman to 'walk'

CALLS for the chairman of Bord Bia to leave his position over the use of Brazilian beef by his company have been echoed by councillors in Mayo.

In a situation likened to Fawlty Towers, both Independent Ireland Councillor Chris Maxwell and Independent Councillor Johnny O'Malley were clear in their views: Larry Murrin 'should walk'.

The IFA have been protesting outside the offices of Bord Bia in Dublin against a decision not to remove the chairman after news broke that Mr. Murrin's company, Dawn Farms, has been using some Brazilian beef (1%) in its meat products.

Mayo IFA branch joined colleagues from around the country at the protest, asking for the removal of Mr. Murrin following the Brazilian beef - imported in 2025 - revelation.

The matter was raised at a Westport-Belmullet Municipal District meeting this week where local support for the recent Mercosur protest, and the survival of rural Ireland, was reflected on by Councillor Maxwell, who urged councillors from the main parties to impress on their leaders how serious the Mercosur situation is.

They then had the 'ridiculous situation', he said, where the Bord Bia chairman is still in his position, owning a company that's importing Brazilian beef.

Those same people are sending inspectors out to Irish farms, who are showcasing the finest beef production system in Europe, he added.

“Like Fawlty Towers,” noted his colleague Councillor Brendan Mulroy.

Bord Bia want food produced with transparency and traceability, noted Councillor O'Malley. But when you see the chairman bringing in beef from Brazil, 'he should be told to walk,” he commented.

Councillor O'Malley also commented on the issue of bluetongue, which was found in Wicklow.

It's not a threat to people's health, he explained, but it does threaten our live exports. And if we can't export our calves and weanlings, the factories will get the benefit as there will be more cattle and they can pull prices.

He hoped we will be clear of it soon again or else the rural areas will suffer.

Councillor Maxwell noted how he saw on TV that we might have to import beef as there isn't enough cattle in the country.

Previous governments had allowed the suckler cow herd to be decimated in the west of Ireland, with no proper support to keep it there, he commented.

* Published under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme