We need to state the facts straightforwardly. Larry Murrin is chair of Bord Bia. Bord Bia has done a fine job in marketing food, drink and horticulture from Ireland. However, let us also be clear that Larry Murrin is the co-founder and CEO of Dawn Farms. Am I correct in believing that Dawn Farms imported Brazilian beef into Ireland? I do not think there is any question about that. How can someone not see that this is a huge conflict of interest in the context of trying to sell and market goods and wares on the basis of the work done by the farmers in the Gallery and throughout the country? I am talking about farmers in Knockbridge, Kilkerley, Sheelagh, Omeath, Reaghstown and other areas across County Louth. I did not grow up on a farm, but my father did. I worked on many farms. My uncle is a farmer and my cousins are farmers. This is not Sinn Féin deciding that Larry Murrin needs to go. Farmers were on to us, as they were on to the IFA and other organisations, to say that it is not okay to import Brazilian beef, that doing so is an absolute conflict of interest and that we are talking about marketing Irish beef. The Minister of State, Deputy Dooley, spoke about dangers in the future. There will be reputational damage done by the chair of Bord Bia taking in Brazilian beef. In fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, stood up in relation to the Mercosur deal. I know he is under pressure this evening. He stood up in respect of the Mercosur deal and, at the last minute, the Government decided it would, sort of, oppose it.

Sentiment score: 0.01

Let us be clear about what it is going to do. We also met Commissioners Piotr Serafin and Christophe Hansen, and we know the dangers of provisional application. I have not seen what the Government will do to oppose Mercosur or deal with the possibility of more Brazilian beef, with hormones and antibiotics and without the traceability that applies to Irish beef, being imported here. That is what we need to see. The Minister, Deputy Heydon, said that explaining global food supply chains and contingency planning does not make for good social media clips. Does this contingency planning include the importation of Brazilian beef? The chair has to go. What happened is unacceptable, and the Government has been a disgrace.

Sentiment score: -0.15