Bord Bia workers ‘unable to go to work for weeks’ due to IFA protest
Bord Bia has said its 140 Dublin-based employees have been unable to go to work for three weeks, due to protests by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), writes Brian Mahon.
The IFA is protesting in the Bord Bia offices because it claims the latter group’s chairman, Larry Murrin, cannot continue at the helm of the organisation.
It alleges he has a conflict of interest as his company, Dawn Farm Foods, imports 1% of its beef from Brazil, while Bord Bia’s mission is to promote Irish produce.
Mr Murrin has said he has a duty to show clients he can source beef from third countries outside the EU in the event of a disease outbreak here.
The protest has been going on for weeks with farmers taking turns to occupy the building.
Media reports have said farmers are being ‘starved’ out of the protest.
Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin
Teresa Roche, the national IFA farm family chair, told the Connacht Tribune that food deliveries had been ‘stopped’ for 36 hours and that power points had been cut off to stop protesters charging their mobile phones.
The accusations were rejected by Bord Bia, which said it is battling a “significant amount of misinformation” on the issue.
Photo: IFA standoff at Bord Bia. Photograph: Conor Ó Mearáin / © RollingNews.ie
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