Minister proposes external review to break Bord Bia protest deadlock
In a statement issued this evening, the Minister called on IFA to engage in the process in good faith and encouraged the five IFA members to end their protest inside the building.Last week IFA wrote to the board members of Bord Bia, setting out a review process based around seven areas.The Minister said many of the matters raised, particularly those relating to the Quality Assurance Scheme, could be addressed through a new Farmer Forum, one of several commitments agreed at a Food Vision stakeholder meeting he convened on February 13.However, the Minister acknowledged that not all of IFA’s concerns fall within the scope of the Farmer Forum and that he is examining the option of commissioning an external, expert-led governance review to examine the remaining strands of the IFA’s submission.“I believe an external, independent and expert-led review will be crucial in resolving issues credibly and objectively,” he said, adding that the Bord Bia board will meet next Monday, 2 March, to consider the proposal.He has suggested that, following that meeting, the board would not convene again until the review is complete. He also said there has been detailed direct engagement by his Department and IFA senior officials to discuss a potential compromise.“I have spoken to the IFA President in recent days, and I believe there is an opportunity to bring a resolution to this.“This protracted dispute is not in the best interest of the agri-food sector,” the Minister said.The February 13 meeting, resulted in a series of agreed actions aimed at easing tensions.These include revisiting the focus on farmers’ experiences of quality assurance audits, establishing the Farmer Forum to improve engagement with Bord Bia, and launching a dedicated information campaign to better explain Origin Green and the Quality Assurance Schemes.He also said the Department of Agriculture and Food will undertake an initiative to enhance understanding of global supply chains for Irish food and drink and an understanding of labelling and food information for the consumer requirement.IFA’s protest started on January 25, in response to revelations Dawn Farms imports Brazilian beef as part of its supply chain. Dawn Farms’ CEO Larry Murrin is also the Chairman of Bord Bia.And the Minister today reiterated his support for the Chairman. “Mr Murrin appeared before the Joint Oireachtas Committee for Agriculture on 5 February and gave a robust and in-depth explanation in relation to the matters which have been raised, including Dawn Farms supply chain contingency.“Mr Murrin continues to have my full confidence to serve as Chair of Bord Bia.”The Board of Bord Bia will meet again next Monday, 2 March and they will be consulted on the proposal to establish an independently run governance review.
