Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said he is unaware which food businesses in Ireland were impacted by the EU-wide recall of Brazilian beef late last year due to the product containing banned hormones.
Minister Heydon deemed delays in the recall notice being issued on 128kg of Brazilian beef that entered Ireland as being “not satisfactory” and this was raised at an Oireachtas agriculture committee meeting on CAP on Wednesday.
Martin Kenny TD brought up the December recall in the context of diminishing farmer confidence in the wider agri-food system.
“There was three companies involved in that, we understand - we don't know who they are,” the Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson stated.
“Do you know minister who they are? Was Dawn Farm Foods for instance one of them? Whose [CEO is] chairperson now of Bord Bia, is in serious difficulties.
“You know, we need to get answers to this because without answers the confidence of the agriculture sector is undermined and I think you would understand that I'm not saying that to be combative about it.
“But if confidence is undermined, farmers are not going to believe in the system, and if we want a system that's going to work, people have to believe in it.”
‘Significant gap’
Minister Heydon responded by stating that food traceability is a matter for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and that “when it was notified to us, there was a significant gap”.
“You could argue that the traceability measures worked in terms of that but they are the competent state authority for this and they are the ones able to answer.”
When pressed further on whether he knew which companies had been affected, the minister didn’t “have them to hand”.
“I didn’t prepare by reading all over the FSAI report so are they written in a report somewhere, I don’t think so,” adding that he was answering “off the top of his head” having prepared for the topic on the agenda – CAP.
“I do know there was about a three-month gap from when there was an issue to when it was notified to us and obviously the product had worked through and that is not satisfactory and that feeds into the general sentiment there has been that I completely understand.”
Bord Bia’s chair
Martin Kenny’s reference to Dawn Farm Foods came after Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice had asked whether Bord Bia will avail of CAP funds after the revelation that the company imports Brazilian beef while its CEO Larry Murrin is chairman of Bord Bia.
Fitzmaurice stated that Bord Bia have “lost credibility today” and asked whether “they going to be getting [CAP] money if people involved in it is bringing in meat from Brazil”.
Minister Heydon had said that he presumed the comments related to Bord Bia’s board: “The chairman of the board has been has ably assisted in that remarkable performance of our year on year, record growth of the value of our food and drink exports for our farmers."
“If people think Bord Bia, the chairperson and everybody that works in it didn't play an integral role in promoting and marketing that food well then I don't what they think they're there for and we have to be really honest with people here.”
The minister added that he has sought a report from Bord Bia’s board on the matter.
“We all need to wear the green jersey,” Fitzmaurice said after the minister’s response, before adding “and bring in Brazilian meat”.
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said he is unaware which food businesses in Ireland were impacted by the EU-wide recall of Brazilian beef late last year due to the product containing banned hormones.
Minister Heydon deemed delays in the recall notice being issued on 128kg of Brazilian beef that entered Ireland as being “not satisfactory” and this was raised at an Oireachtas agriculture committee meeting on CAP on Wednesday.
Martin Kenny TD brought up the December recall in the context of diminishing farmer confidence in the wider agri-food system.
“There was three companies involved in that, we understand - we don't know who they are,” the Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson stated.
“Do you know minister who they are? Was Dawn Farm Foods for instance one of them? Whose [CEO is] chairperson now of Bord Bia, is in serious difficulties.
“You know, we need to get answers to this because without answers the confidence of the agriculture sector is undermined and I think you would understand that I'm not saying that to be combative about it.
“But if confidence is undermined, farmers are not going to believe in the system, and if we want a system that's going to work, people have to believe in it.”
‘Significant gap’
Minister Heydon responded by stating that food traceability is a matter for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and that “when it was notified to us, there was a significant gap”.
“You could argue that the traceability measures worked in terms of that but they are the competent state authority for this and they are the ones able to answer.”
When pressed further on whether he knew which companies had been affected, the minister didn’t “have them to hand”.
“I didn’t prepare by reading all over the FSAI report so are they written in a report somewhere, I don’t think so,” adding that he was answering “off the top of his head” having prepared for the topic on the agenda – CAP.
“I do know there was about a three-month gap from when there was an issue to when it was notified to us and obviously the product had worked through and that is not satisfactory and that feeds into the general sentiment there has been that I completely understand.”
Bord Bia’s chair
Martin Kenny’s reference to Dawn Farm Foods came after Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice had asked whether Bord Bia will avail of CAP funds after the revelation that the company imports Brazilian beef while its CEO Larry Murrin is chairman of Bord Bia.
Fitzmaurice stated that Bord Bia have “lost credibility today” and asked whether “they going to be getting [CAP] money if people involved in it is bringing in meat from Brazil”.
Minister Heydon had said that he presumed the comments related to Bord Bia’s board: “The chairman of the board has been has ably assisted in that remarkable performance of our year on year, record growth of the value of our food and drink exports for our farmers."
“If people think Bord Bia, the chairperson and everybody that works in it didn't play an integral role in promoting and marketing that food well then I don't what they think they're there for and we have to be really honest with people here.”
The minister added that he has sought a report from Bord Bia’s board on the matter.
“We all need to wear the green jersey,” Fitzmaurice said after the minister’s response, before adding “and bring in Brazilian meat”.
Read more
Bord Bia chair in hot water over Brazilian beef imports
Brazilian beef with illegal hormones enters Irish food chain
EU orders recall of Brazilian beef due to banned hormone presence
Sinn Féin calls on Larry Murrin to resign as chair of Bord Bia
Larry Murrin has engaged with Bord Bia board on imports – Minister
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