The Minister for Agriculture has said he expects Bord Bia Chairman Larry Murrin to remain in his role in the State agency following an upcoming review into its operations.
The IFA had been protesting outside Bord Bia's offices in Dublin for over a month, while five IFA members staged a sit-in protest inside the reception area of the building for four weeks.
The dispute started after it emerged Mr Murrin's company Dawn Farms had been importing some Brazilian beef for use in its products.
Minister Martin Heydon described the process leading to IFA members ending their sit-in protest at Bord Bia offices as a "very difficult period".
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with David McCullagh, the minister said that the heart of the issue was a lack of information around very normal business deals internationally being done in the best interests of farmers and the economy and a misunderstanding of how international trade works and operates.
He said the debate focused on the domestic market which he said is only 10% of farmers' output.
Mr Heydon said that there had been ample opportunities up to this point for a clear and reasonable debate, and that he felt that the protests were reckless.
He said the IFA misrepresented Mr Murrin, adding that he disagreed that he had a conflict of interest in his role outside of Bord Bia.
He said that having someone’s reputation damaged, when someone did not break rules, is something the Government needs to stand up for and defend.
He said that he personally worked very hard behind the scenes with the IFA as well as with farming organisations.
Mr Heydon said his department will commission the review now and have it carried out by 30 April, but that he expects Mr Murrin to stay in the role as chair after the review.
He said that there was a need to explain better to farmers the value and role of Bord Bia’s work internationally.
Review needs to be meaningful - IFA president
Meanwhile, IFA President Francie Gorman said that farmers will never accept a situation where the chair of Ireland's food marketing board is bringing in product to the country that is not quality assured to a Bord Bia standard.
Reacting to Mr Heydon’s comments on the same programme, he said that he was very disappointed by the minister’s attitude, and that he has "learned very little" over the last five weeks of the protest.
Mr Gorman said the idea that the review is going to be finished by 30 April is "very fanciful", adding that it must be about restoring famers' confidence in Bord Bia.
He said everything Bord Bia does, stands on the foundation of thousands of Irish farmers.
"That review needs to be set up in the right way. It needs to be meaningful.
"It does need to address the issue that happened in the last couple of weeks, and for the minister to come and say that before the review was even put in place, that he expects the chairman to stay in place, is completely wrong. It undermines the review," he said.
He explained: "When I went to the board meeting first on 22 January, before we ever went public on this, outlining the seriousness of this issue for our farmers and for the wider industry, it wasn't taken on board.
"Our issue was that this chair was bringing in product and wasn't properly approved to a Bord Bia processing standard.
"While that happens, you are never going to have confidence restored for farmers. I think the minister is prejudging the outcome of the review."
He said he would have hoped that they would be able to move forward, adding "but already the minister has started a war game before the review even takes place".
"The review needs to ensure that when we're finished with this, that we have a Bord Bia that can move forward to do the job it is meant to do, and restore farmer confidence in it," he said.
