Danny Healy-Rae Confronts Board B Chair Over Brazilian Beef
Danny Healy-Rae questioned Mr Munn, chairman of Board B, about the use of Brazilian beef and the impact of Board B inspections on Irish farmers. He accused the board of creating a double standard, challenged the claim that imports represent 1%, and raised concerns about quality assurance, traceability and pressure on farmers.
Exchange with Board B leadership
He pressed Mr Munn on his role as non-executive chairman and on declarations about business interests, and addressed CEO Jim O'Toole's presence during the hearing. He repeatedly asked how long the board had been aware of problems raised about Brazilian beef and questioned whether board members had properly informed each other.
Impact on farmers and inspections
He highlighted farmers gathered inside and outside the gate and said quality assurance inspections place mental and physical pressure on producers. He cited consequences for dairy farmers whose milk may not be collected if they fail audits, and for beef farmers losing a 20 per cent premium when they cannot meet assurance requirements.
Debate over Brazilian imports and the '1%'
He challenged Mr Munn's claim that imports from Brazil amounted to around 1% or less, saying he did not accept that explanation and questioning whether that tiny percentage was being carried by the Irish project. Mr Munn replied that the issue became amplified following an Irish Farmers Journal investigation and a photograph circulated on social media.
Quality assurance and traceability
He demanded reassurance that Brazilian suppliers were subject to the same quality assurance and traceability as Irish producers. Mr Munn responded that Brazil does not have everything Ireland has but said traceability exists for the small percentage of beef purchased there, and that none of the concerned product had been sold to an Irish customer.
Export sourcing and customer requirements
He challenged the need to import when Ireland exports the majority of its beef, while Mr Munn argued customers require contingency sourcing and will not place all their orders with a single supplier. The exchange centred on balancing customer sourcing demands against assurances to Irish farmers and public concern about imported beef.
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First of all, I want to welcome Mr Munn and his witnesses here today, and I want to welcome the farming people behind us and all the farming people that are outside the gate wondering what's happening here. I suppose, Mr Munn, the first question I have is, your job as chairman is to promote Board B all over the world and Irish projects, is that correct? My job as chair is to chair the board of directors. I am a non-executive chairman, not an executive chairman. The CEO of Board B, Mr Jim O'Toole, to my left, is the operational chief of Board B. Can you understand, Mr Munn, that what has been happening is creating a double standard? I mean, are you aware of the mental and physical pressure that's placed upon a farmer when he drew for a Board B inspection? And to get Board B assurance, dairy farmers can't, the milk won't be taken for them if they don't comply. Beef farmers won't get the extra 20 per cent, which they badly need many times a year. And can you understand how those people are hurting because of this episode that's ongoing with the last couple of weeks? I can understand how the subject of Brazilian beef is a very sensitive topic in the current environment. I absolutely can. I can equally understand, and I'm on record the one and only time I've appeared before this committee as expressing nothing but empathy for the Irish farming community in the context of quality assurance audits. And let me tell you, it's not just, excuse me deputy, let me just explain that it's not just Irish farming that, you know, feels the pressure of quality assurance audits. It's every stakeholder. So you have been aware that there's a problem with Brazilian beef here in this country for how long? How long are you aware of that? I'm conscious that it has been since the Irish Farmers Journal investigation in, I believe, November, it was, it became a very amplified topic. And you, you're chairman since sometime the end of 70... Two years ago. 2003. And did you think that could be in order to tell them at that time, the members of your board, what, what, what you were doing with your companies? Did you think that could be a right to do that? Or that there was a need to do that? To be honest, deputy, it's, it's, it's fully declared what I think each member of the board has done, does do, and continues to do in the businesses they represent. Whether that be a president of one of the farm orgs or any business, directly business-related member. I do say to Mr. Bond, with all due respects, that this is, and what you've been doing, is creating a double standard. Farmers are hurting because of what's going on. And to me, it's like putting a badge of a BMW motor car on a mini-miner. And, and you see, here hanging your court, here coming in here, your defence here today is that you're only importing one percent... Less than? Yes. Yes. But I say to you that I don't, I don't buy that. I'm sorry. And I can't understand whether it is somewhere, whatever other food outlets, that you put that up in, in, in, in the labelling and, and say that it is one percent. Is, is it so that the Irish project is carrying that one percent? Is it so that it is for you? I mean, to be fair about it, there's an awful lot of people dying in this country with cancer. And I am, there's many people asking the question, where is it coming from? Why is it, why isn't it controlled? And can you say to me that you depend on the Brazilians to do the same, go through the same rigmarole that we have to go through here to get quality assurance? Are they going through that? Are you ensuring... Can you say to us here that they're doing the very same thing or as good as us? To be honest, there are many equivalences to quality assured Irish beef around the world. That's a well-known fact. Brazil doesn't have what Brazil doesn't have, but it does have traceability in so far as this very tiny percentage of beef that we purchase there to demonstrate the supply chain security to our clients. And I'd equally add that none of, and I don't name customers' names, but this all started with a photograph that was flashed around in social media. I'm sorry, Deputy. Don't name customers' names. I don't name customers' names. I'm not looking for them. Yeah, but the context is that none of the product concerned was actually sold to the customer in Ireland. None. You see, you say that the 1% is for contingency plans, that your customers won't buy what you're selling if you don't have a contingency plan or if you're buying that you won't get enough beef. Everything that we do? Right. Hold on one minute. You can answer that again. Excuse me, Deputy. You're saying that that is part of your contingency plan that customers won't deal with it otherwise. I say to you here that we are exporting 90% of our beef. And I don't think that you have any problem sourcing beef. I'm sure that the Irish would sell it to you quicker if you weren't buying it at all from Brazil. And you could offer our customers way more guarantees. Would you agree with that? No, that doesn't actually satisfy customer requirements. A customer will not place all their eggs in one basket from a sourcing side. All right. Stay there now one minute. So 1% is satisfying, or less than 1% you're saying? Is that what you're saying? I'm saying that that demonstrates that it could be done if it needed to be done. Well, I think it is a poor thing in light of what pressure is on about the Brazilian beef and Mercosur and all that's going on. It's a hard thing to come in here and get me to believe that it's for some customers that you want to satisfy that you're admitting to 1%, until the least you could admit to. 1% is the lowest. I don't honestly buy that. I can buy it. I won't buy it. I can't accept it that it's to satisfy customers. I can't understand how that is. Thank you, Deputy. But the reality is that it is the truth in dealing with global customers. Deputy Cooney. That menthesqua. B Viktor ins statue. So you want to see this truth in condominium? acaksın! I can't believe it, but, I'm sure it's not the truth in the client because I'm, why you bring that descriptive breath so I would have to December 6th by outsourced you, before I show you the verified methods in terms of purchasing your dollar amount of time. Keep making that sound. You remember multiple merchants in the car. I woke up to decades.
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