I am sure the Minister will agree that the chairman of Bord Bia is responsible for upholding accountability, managing conflicts of interest and maintaining high ethical standards. Surely, if the chairman of Bord Bia is importing Brazilian beef through his own company, that is a conflict of interest and a breach of ethical standards. This is a serious matter. It is a matter of utmost importance to the reputation of Ireland's food and drink exports and our domestic market. Bord Bia holds Irish farmers to some of the highest and most stringent standards and conditions in the world through its sustainable quality assurance scheme. The same Irish farmers are now insisting that the chairman of the board meet the same standards and leave his post. His position has become untenable and has undermined public confidence. The longer he remains, the more damage will be done to Bord Bia and to Ireland's reputation as the producer of the highest quality meat and drinks in Europe, if not the world. Bord Bia's code of ethics should require that stakeholders and the reputation of our meat, drinks and horticulture be protected to make them the best on the world markets. The Minister must recognise that the backbone of our beef, drink and food industries are the farmers and small producers. He must also recognise that the primary link between the Minister and his Department and the board is the chairman himself. This raises the question of whether the Minister was aware of the chairman's company using Brazilian beef as raw material for products it supplies. By anyone's standards, this is a conflict of interest and a breach of ethical standards. As one farmer in my own county of Wexford put it, if the manager has lost the dressing room, it is time to go. That is the case here. The stakes are high. The reputation of our beef and food industries is on the line. We call on the Minister to do the right thing. He has the power to do so under section 18(1) of the An Bord Bia Act. Now is the time to stand firmly behind our Irish farmers. I ask all TDs to support this motion tonight.

Sentiment score: 0.16