LAST UPDATE
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3 hrs ago
THE IRISH FARMERS’ Association (IFA) has ended its sit-in protest at Bord Bia’s offices.
It comes after Bord Bia agreed to an independent governance review of its board.
The IFA had been protesting at Bord Bia’s offices since 26 January, with five people occupying the lobby of the building since 3 February.
The dispute centres around revelations that the chair of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin, had been importing some Brazilian beef for his company Dawn Farms.
Murrin faced calls to step down as Bord Bia chair but he said his company sourced “less than 1%” of its beef from Brazil last year for contingency planning in a contract.
He appeared before a committee last month and said that while his company mostly buys from Irish farmers, he needed to demonstrate that Ireland can import beef from somewhere else as part of contingency planning.
He said allegations of a conflict of interest are “false” and “driven” by social media.
Larry Murrin speaking at a committee meeting Oireachtas TV
Oireachtas TV
In a statement this evening, Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon said he “welcomed agreement reached at a board meeting of Bord Bia which was called to discuss the current impasse”.
The board meeting got underway at around 10am this morning and over 50 tractors were outside the Bord Bia offices.
The IFA remarked on social media that this “shows farmer’s anger is growing the longer this situation remains unresolved”.
Over 50 tractors have showed up outside Bard Bia HQ today ahead of the board meeting to show farmers’ anger is growing the longer this situation remains unresolved#DoubleStandards #RestoreConfidence #BackYourFarmers pic.twitter.com/xvEAPkyh0a
— Irish Farmers’ Association (@IFAmedia) March 2, 2026
Heydon said he was “pleased that my proposal for an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia has been accepted and that the ongoing protest has been stood down”.
He added: “Larry Murrin will remain as chair of Bord Bia and as agreed by the board and the chair in the interests of moving forward, during the period of the review scheduled board meetings will be facilitated by another current board member.”
Heydon also said Bord Bia is progressing a “new Farmers Forum which will provide an opportunity for renewed engagement between farmers and Bord Bia”.
Meanwhile, the Department 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”.
Heydon this evening remarked that “it is now time to come together to support the essential work of Bord Bia, which delivers important benefits for farmers and the agri-food sector as a whole”.
Last week, Heydon said the independent expert-led governance review will “objectively assess the matters raised and provide me with recommendations”.
Meanwhile, IFA president Francie Gorman described the five farmers who occupied Bord Bia for 28 days as “heroic”.
“IFA had put a proposal to the board 10 days ago that identified seven strands that should be examined and that the chair would step aside while these are being considered. This was the basis of today’s outcome,” he said.
“IFA has agreed to stand down their protest until the review is complete and while Larry Murrin is not chairing board meetings.
“Five farmers have occupied the building for 28 days with a rolling 24-hour protest outside for 36 days.
“These farmers are heroes. They have sacrificed so much for their fellow farmers as have those who have kept a 24-hour rolling protest going outside.”
Sinn Féin’s spokesperson on agriculture, Martin Kenny, welcomed the decision by the IFA to stand down its protest while an independent review of governance takes place.
However, he said it was “regrettable that it took the Minister and Larry Murrin so long to realise that there are issues in relation to conflicts of interest and governance at Bord Bia”.
“Farmers have enough to be doing at home on their farms, especially this time of year, without having to be camped outside Bord Bia protesting,” he added.
Kenny said farmers had “stood firm in the face of government who tried to talk down to them in suggesting that they somehow didn’t understand how big business deals work”.
“This is about protecting Irish agriculture and protecting our reputation as food producers on the world stage. There is no place for double standards, and there is no place for Brazilian beef in Ireland.”
