Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Simon Harris (FG), Wicklow

That is the way business should be done. In fact, that is not just my view; it is actually the view of the president of the Irish Farmers Association. The Deputy wraps himself in the mantle of speaking for farmers. Their elected representative said in his statement yesterday that the correct forum to address this issue is with the chair and other directors at a board meeting. He also had the decency to say that he was then happy to await the outcome of that meeting to see what the answers were and hear from the chair before delivering his view. That is a responsible thing to do. That is also what the Minister for agriculture will do because the Minister has asked that he would receive a detailed report on all of these matters from Bord Bia directly following today's board meeting.
Far be it from any of the accusations or obfuscation or any of the words the Deputy threw at me or at the Government here, we are going to follow due process. This place is not a kangaroo court where we just come in and say, "Off with your head". We actually have boards. We have legislation. I have confidence in the board of Bord Bia to do its duty in examining any issues, perceived or real, that would arise and then give its view to the Minister in line with how this place operates and how Government operates. I have confidence in that process. I have confidence in the speed at which Bord Bia has convened its board meeting and, indeed, that the chair has sought an opportunity to engage with the board. The comments of the president of the IFA, Mr. Francie Gorman, in relation to that being the correct forum to address the issue is absolutely the right course of action.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22