Aontú Senator Sarah O’Reilly, who sits on the Seanad Agricultural Panel, has written to the Standards in Public Office Commission to make an official complaint in relation to the Chairman of Bord Bia.
Speaking today, Senator O’Reilly said: “The information which has been brought to light by the Beef Plan Movement in relation to the chairman of Bord Bia, and the company of which he is managing director – Dawn Farm Foods – is deeply concerning and undermines public confidence in Bord Bia. We’ve learned that this company is using Brazilian beef. The actions of his company contradict entirely with the purpose of Bord Bia, which is to promote Irish beef”.
Senator O’Reilly continued: “We have all seen the reports that unsafe Brazilian beef has entered the Irish market, and we’ve all been wondering how it got here, who brought it here, and how we stop it. The revelation in the past 24 hours that it came through the company which is owned by the chairperson of Bord Bia is absolutely mind blowing. Bord Bia is responsible for promoting Irish beef, for ensuring that Irish beef is labelled as Irish, and for protecting the integrity of Irish beef. Irish beef farmers are under attack politically. Their future has never been so uncertain. They have been betrayed and the market has been betrayed by the very people who are supposed to be looking out for them and promoting their produce. I have today written to the Standards in Public Office Commission to ask them to fully investigate this matter”.
In her letter to SIPO, Senator O’Reilly notes that Bord Bia and specifically its chairman fall under SIPO’s remit, as per the legislation and relevant guidelines.
She states in the letter:
“I believe that Mr Murrin should have declared his interest in Dawn Farm Foods to the Standards in Public Office Commission, and also that he should have disclosed that his company was using Brazilian beef and supporting the importation of Brazilian beef, while he held office in a role where he was supposed to be promoting Irish beef, at a time when the Irish Beef market is under attack internationally. I am asking that the Standards in Public Office Commission investigate this matter fully”
