Larry Murrin has told the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture that he remains "fully committed" to his role as Chair of Bord Bia, despite calls for him to step down after it emerged his company - Dawn Farms - imports Brazilian beef.
Mr Murrin also denied claims there is a conflict of interest for him as Bord Bia Chair due to the situation.
In his opening address to the committee, Mr Murrin said that he is taking the matter "very seriously" and that he understands "the frustration being expressed by farmers, and I fully respect their right to voice concern".
"However, I do not support the behaviour of IFA members occupying Bord Bia reception in recent days," he added.
Farming groups - including the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA), ICSA, and the group representing dairy farmers, the ICMSA - claim the fact Dawn Farms has been importing Brazilian beef creates a conflict of interest for Mr Murrin, given Bord Bia's role in promoting Irish food, and that his position with the semi-State agency is untenable.
Mr Murrin said that he has "never been conflicted in undertaking my role as Chair of Bord Bia, which is to lead the board and ensure its effectiveness".
"I have spent my entire working life advocating on behalf of Irish food, drink, and agriculture in global markets in the best interests of Ireland."
Members of the IFA are currently staging a sit-in protest at Bord Bia's HQ in Dublin over the issue.
Defending his company's use of Brazilian beef, Mr Murrin told the committee that a requirement of Dawn Farms "serving as the preferred supplier of cooked meat ingredients for many big international food brands" means that "in the event of a food crisis, disease outbreak, or supply disruption anywhere in Europe, Dawn Farms must be agile and able to activate a supply of beef or any other raw material from different sources".
"That activation must be proven and real and practiced. This also includes dual-manufacturing capability," he added.
Mr Murrin said Dawn Farms imported "less than 1% of its beef from Brazil in 2025 to meet a requirement of contingency planning" adding that "sourcing a small quantity outside Ireland does not diminish our commitment to Irish beef or farmers".
He said he "sought dialogue and engagement" from the outset of the dispute and "that remains my position".
He said that he offered to meet with the IFA for discussions but "these were rejected in favour of a single demanded outcome".
Mr Murrin said the situation "has the potential to be deeply damaging to our industry, and risks creating the impression that Irish farmers and exporters are not open for business".
Asked By Independent Senator Victor Boyhan if he would consider committing to source beef within the European Union in light of the "understandable anger" from the farming community, Mr Murrin said: "We can't ignore the needs of customers in this particular framework."
He added he was open to having dialogue, but he cannot guarantee this.
Meanwhile, Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow Kilkenny, Peter 'Chap' Cleere said he had spoken to many farmers recently, and "to say farmers were angry and hurt and frustrated would be an understatement".
Deputy Cleere said "farmers were held to the highest standards in the world and then there’s an inferior product coming in from another country".
Mr Murrin said "first of all, I’m completely reconciled that there is no conflict, incompatibility whatsoever".
Deputy Cleere asked him if he understood how farmers felt there was a conflict.
Mr Murrin said, "nothing wrong has happened here, nothing underhanded, nothing illegal, nothing dark in any way about it".
He said, "we cannot create fortress Ireland here" and said they had to serve their global foreign customers.
"I have huge empathy for the farming community across Ireland, and I’ve spent my entire life advocating for all the benefits that Irish food can bring."
Mr Murrin said some of Dawn Farms beef comes from UK, but the majority comes from Ireland. "Well over 50% he said."
He said they source some poultry from Brazil, but no pig meat.
"Ireland ... in poultry terms, is about 70% self sufficient, and of that 70%, the poultry sector exports about 25% of what it produces," the Bord Bia Chair said.
Mr Murrin said Ireland imports about 120,000 tonnes or more of poultry to satisfy local demand, and said most of what Ireland exports is dark meat or drumsticks.
Asked about Farm to Fork by Independent Ireland TD Michael Fitzmaurice, Mr Murrin said Dawn Farms has safety oversight staff in Naas.
In response to a question from Deputy Fitzmaurice on why Dawn Farms chose Brazil as a back-up country for beef supply, Mr Murrin said: "I’m not a champion for Brazil" but pointed out that it is the largest exporter of beef in the world.
He said he had to demonstrate that Dawn Farms could access meats where required.
Mr Murrin said it was customer stipulation that they had to be active in the supply chains they have access to.
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Committee appearance raises more questions - IFA
IFA President Francie Gorman said the appearance by the Chair of Bord Bia at the Agriculture Committee "raises further questions" over the amounts of Brazilian beef imported by Dawn Farms.
Mr Gorman said: "He also refused to give the actual tonnage of beef he imported in 2025. It was Mr Murrin who put the 1% figure from Brazil in the public domain. Today, he hid behind commercial sensitivity when asked to give specifics about the exact tonnage he imported and where else he imports come from.
"In addition, he refused to confirm what percentage of the beef he sources comes from Bord Bia Quality Assured Irish farms. But from his answers it appears that less than 50% comes from Bord Bia farmers. He should clarify this.
"Some facts are clear. Mr Murrin’s company imported Brazilian beef and Brazilian chicken. Farmers do not see this as compatible with being the chair of the Irish food marketing board and of the organisation that sets and policies standards for Irish QA farmers. This was shown again with the Bord Bia poultry meeting in Monaghan this morning being abandoned," he said.
Meanwhile, the group representing dairy farmers, the ICMSA, said that while questions remained around farmer confidence it is now more pressing than ever that the Minister (for Agriculture) gets both hands around this matter and calls the roundtable meeting that would allow movement towards a resolution.
ICMSA President Denis Drennan said "every day brings more and more issues onto an already full agenda for Irish farming and massively important questions - like the €1.3 billion collapse in dairy-farmer income - are simply not getting the focus required".
