Mayo councillors pass motion for removal of Bord Bia chairman

COUNCILLORS in Mayo have fully backed a call for the removal of Larry Murrin as chairman of Bord Bia.

Members of Mayo IFA were at the monthly meeting of the authority in Castlebar yesterday where a motion requesting Mr. Murrin's removal received unanimous support.

Their request will now be sent to the Minister for Agriculture, Martin Heydon, as they become the 13th local authority to pass similar motions.

Councillor Patsy O'Brien, one of five signatories to the motion along with councillors Richard Finn, Johnny O'Malley, Gerry Murray and Chris Maxwell, highlighted the importance of agriculture in Mayo, with 13,640 jobs depending on it and €128 million coming into the county through direct payments and earnings.

The Bord Bia chairman, whose company has imported Brazilian beef into Ireland, has a conflict of interest, he said.

Members highlighted the rigorous standards and inspections that Irish farmers are subject to, while Brazilian beef has no traceability. It's a total contradiction, said Councillor Johnny O'Malley, describing Mr. Murrin's position as 'untenable'.

Questions need answering about the Brazilian beef that has come into the country, said Councillor Gerry Murray. Who is importing it and who is selling it, he asked, and were there more people in the industry involved.

They were playing Russian roulette with Irish beef and once a brand gets damaged, it's hard to get back to where it was, he added.

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly agreed that Irish food has an international reputation and anything impacting that has to be taken seriously.

The point was also made to the meeting that as public representatives, councillors declare their interests. If not, they will be brought before SIPO. In public life, you have to hold people to very high standards.

Labelling is another matter that needs to be addressed to give consumers confidence, said Councillor Damien Ryan, and meat on the shelves should have farm origin displayed.

Councillor Neil Cruise described the whole episode as 'shocking', highlighting how farming is the backbone of rural Ireland.

A review of Bord Bia is currently underway and Minister Heydon was urged to publish its findings without delay.

* Funded under the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme