An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-26
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Pauline Tully (SF), Cultural and Educational Panel

I raise the meeting that took place in Cavan last night, which was organised by the IFA. There were hundreds of people in that room from counties Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath, Westmeath, Donegal and all around the whole region. They are very angry, but they are also very steadfast. They are not backing down on this issue. The Minister needs to reconsider his decision to continue to back Larry Murrin as chair of Bord Bia. The actions of the chair of a board which guarantees quality-assured Irish produce in admitting to importing Brazilian beef, when we know it does not meet the same standards of Irish produce, are hypocritical to say the least. It is undermining the role of Bord Bia and everything it stands for in giving an assurance that what a person is buying is of good quality. Nobody wants to see that. The farmers are angry, but the public are angry as well. They do not want to see him remaining as chair. Recent polls have indicated that. As was said at the meeting last night, there is no wrong time to do the right thing. It is time for the Minister to do the right thing now without delay by backing down on his support for Larry Murrin - for whatever reason, he is so steadfast in supporting him - and by ensuring that the five people who are sitting in Bord Bia headquarters can go home, do their farming and see their families.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-26/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:42+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-26