D'admhaigh cathaoirleach Bhord Bia go mbíonn a chomhlacht ag iompórtáil feola ón Bhrasaíl do mhargadh na hÉireann. Tá dualgas curtha ar fheirmeoirí cloí le caighdeáin timpeallachta, leasa agus rialacha atá ag dul in airde i gcónaí. Ag an am céanna, áfach, tá an cathaoirleach ar Bhord Bia, foras Stáit atá freagrach as bia, feoil agus feirmeoireacht na hÉireann a chur chun cinn, anois ceangailte le hiompórtáil feola ó earnáil nach mbíonn ag feidhmiú de réir na gcaighdeán céanna. Caithfidh an Rialtas an cathaoirleach a thógáil as a phost.

The chair of Bord Bia, the State agency charged with promoting Irish food, Irish beef and Irish farming is also the chief executive of Dawn Farm Foods, a company that has confirmed that it sources Brazilian beef for the Irish market. That fact alone should have set alarm bells ringing across government. Instead, we have seen evasion, minimisation and the circling of the wagons.

Bord Bia's credibility rests on public trust. It exists to champion Irish producers, Irish farmers and the reputation of Irish food at the highest international standards. How can that credibility possibly survive when its chair is simultaneously presiding over a company importing beef from Brazil, a sector repeatedly associated across Europe with food safety scares, traceability failures, animal welfare concerns and weak regulatory oversight? Brazilian beef has already had to be recalled from Irish supermarket shelves. It has been the subject of sustained and serious concern for years around growth hormones that are banned here, enforcement failures and standards that Irish farmers are rightly never allowed to fall below. Yet, at the very moment Irish farmers are being asked to meet even higher environmental and welfare and regulatory standards, the chair of Bord Bia is linked to imports from a sector that does not operate to those standards. This is not just poor optics. This is a fundamental conflict of interest, and it goes to the heart of public trust. The Government did not inherit this situation; the Government created this situation.

Mr. Murrin was appointed by Government to a position of public trust. This is not an internal board matter that can be parked, delayed or quietly discussed behind closed doors. It is a matter of ministerial responsibility and governance, and it comes at a time of deeply damaging wider context. Yesterday, in the European Parliament, Sinn Féin was key to securing a significant victory in referring the EU Mercosur deal to the European Court of Justice. Meanwhile, the Government’s own MEPs were working against that outcome. Against this backdrop, confidence in Bord Bia is essential. Yet, instead of recognising the seriousness of this issue, the Taoiseach chose yesterday to try to wave it away, accusing those who raised legitimate concerns in this House of dragging down a good organisation. Sinn Féín is not undermining Bord Bia; the Government is by defending the indefensible, by refusing to acknowledge an obvious conflict of interest and by sending a message that accountability stops at the door of powerful corporate figures. This is not about personalities. This is about protecting Irish farmers, consumer confidence and the integrity of Irish food promotion at home and abroad.

My question to the Tánaiste is simple and direct. Does he accept there is a fundamental conflict of interest in the chair of Bord Bia also being chief executive of a company importing Brazilian beef? If he does accept that, will the Government finally act and remove the chair from his position, or is it going to continue to defend a situation that is plainly untenable and expect farmers and the public to simply look the other way?

Hear, hear.

Let me begin by agreeing with the Deputy on one point, which is that Bord Bia is indeed an exemplary organisation. It is an organisation that is fulfilling its mandate with distinction and it is doing so at a time of huge geopolitical and geoeconomic uncertainty. Last year, we saw Irish agrifood exports exceed more than €21 billion. Bord Bia is, therefore, excelling. Bord Bia is doing an exceptional job. Considering that the vast amount of food we produce in this country is exported, its role is indeed vital. We saw only last week China open its markets to Irish beef, which is an example of the work done by Bord Bia, Government and Government agencies in terms of opportunities for Irish food.

Issues in relation to governance or conflicts of interest, perceived or real, are, indeed, important. I do not dispute that but so too is process. Process is extremely important. Far be it from the Deputy's framing of the situation, this morning, in fact, perhaps while we are in this Chamber, the board of Bord Bia is meeting and considering all of these matters. That is the appropriate, responsible, fair way of considering and examining any issue when it arises, not shouting and roaring at each other on the floor of this House.

Nobody is shouting and roaring.

That is the way business should be done. In fact, that is not just my view; it is actually the view of the president of the Irish Farmers Association. The Deputy wraps himself in the mantle of speaking for farmers. Their elected representative said in his statement yesterday that the correct forum to address this issue is with the chair and other directors at a board meeting. He also had the decency to say that he was then happy to await the outcome of that meeting to see what the answers were and hear from the chair before delivering his view. That is a responsible thing to do. That is also what the Minister for agriculture will do because the Minister has asked that he would receive a detailed report on all of these matters from Bord Bia directly following today's board meeting.

Far be it from any of the accusations or obfuscation or any of the words the Deputy threw at me or at the Government here, we are going to follow due process. This place is not a kangaroo court where we just come in and say, "Off with your head". We actually have boards. We have legislation. I have confidence in the board of Bord Bia to do its duty in examining any issues, perceived or real, that would arise and then give its view to the Minister in line with how this place operates and how Government operates. I have confidence in that process. I have confidence in the speed at which Bord Bia has convened its board meeting and, indeed, that the chair has sought an opportunity to engage with the board. The comments of the president of the IFA, Mr. Francie Gorman, in relation to that being the correct forum to address the issue is absolutely the right course of action.

The legislation is very clear. The Minister has the power to remove the chair. Indeed, the board on its own does not have that power. It needs the consent of the Minister. There are a number of facts that are undisputable.

The chair of Bord Bia, the State agency responsible for promoting Irish food at the highest international standards, is also the director of a company that is importing Brazilian beef. Another fact is that Brazilian beef had to be recalled just in the past months from Irish shelves. Another fact is that Brazilian beef that was in Ireland in the past number of months had hormones that are banned in the European Union. The other fact is the chair of that company, who acknowledges that his company imports Brazilian beef for the Irish market, is the chair appointed by the Government as head of Bord Bia.

The issue here is there has to be credibility, good faith and accountability. With all the facts we know now, which are undisputed even by the chair himself, does the Tánaiste have confidence in him to continue as chair of Bord Bia when he acknowledges his company is importing beef from a region that does not live up to the same standards as Irish farmers the length and breadth of this State are required to and, if they do not comply with those standards, are heavily penalised for doing so?

You are at it again, Deputy, and you have done it in this House so many times. You just come in, say somebody's name and call for them to be sacked. Do you remember your leader did that with a former Garda Commissioner and how badly that backfired on your party?

Hear, hear.

Due process matters. Just because the Deputy has read a headline or heard this or that: what is the purpose of a board of directors if the Deputy does not actually want it to have met this morning. It is meeting right now. Can he wait a few minutes? Can he wait for board members to sit down, have a conversation and then report to the Minister, or does it have to be now, in time for the 1 o'clock news? Come on now, let us have a little bit of fairness here. This shoot first and ask questions later, that the Deputy's party is steeped in, does not serve democracy well.

I have every confidence in the process. I have every confidence in Bord Bia to discharge its duty and in the board of Bord Bia to discharge its corporate governance duties. I have every confidence in our excellent Minister for agriculture to respond to any detailed report he receives from the board.

Do you have confidence in the chair?

We have confidence in a process. Process matters. I know process, democracy and all of that are really inconvenient. Kangaroo courts are much easier but actually allowing somebody an opportunity to talk and answer questions and a board to give a considered view is how this Government functions, and that is a stark difference between this Government and our responsible politics and your populism.

Do you have confidence in the chair?

Let the process commence.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Ask Máiría Cahill.

Protect your own. Do as I say, not as I do.