The outcome of the Bord Bia review "may not live up to stakeholder expectations", according to Independent Ireland MEP Ciaran Mullooly.

The comments come as an independent governance review of the board of Bord Bia published today (Friday, June 12) endorsed chair, Larry Murrin, with the "vast majority" of board members "very positive" about his performance.

The review was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and was part of the agreement that ended weeks of protests by the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) at Bord Bia headquarters earlier this year.

The IFA had called for the resignation or removal of the chair of Bord Bia, Larry Murrin following confirmation that Murrin's company, Dawn Farm Foods, sourced 1% of its beef supply from Brazil in 2025.

The review, conducted by consultants Governance Ireland, found no fundamental governance failure, but identified weaknesses in board culture, understanding of roles, and governance practices.

The report includes a list of 22 recommendations to address these issues.

Bord Bia

Midlands North West MEP Ciaran Mullooly said the review "had been expected to solve and resolve all the challenges and problems facing the Irish food production sector".

"I am questioning what dividend has emerged from the many hours farmers invested in protesting both inside and outside Bord Bia offices, seeking meaningful reform.

"I attended a number of those demonstrations myself in solidarity with farmers and their concerns.

"Many stakeholders will find it difficult to understand how, after such extensive engagement and calls for reform, the changes sought to improve transparency, accountability and confidence within the beef sector do not appear to be reflected in this outcome," he said.

Beef imports

MEP Mullooly highlighted that "Irish farmers must comply with stringent Bord Bia audits, certification requirements and full traceability standards".

However he has queried what standards are applied to imported beef and also claimed that beef from other countries "may enter Ireland without the country of origin being clearly indicated to consumers".

The MEP has called on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and the European Commission to ensure that "all beef products entering the Irish market are subject to clear and transparent country-of-origin labelling requirements".

"Any reforms in this area must ultimately deliver stronger returns and better prices for beef farmers across Ireland, whose commitment to quality, sustainability and traceability remains among the highest in the world," he added.