Victor Boyhan challenges Board BIA on governance and imports
Victor Boyhan addressed a hearing with representatives from Board BIA, focusing on corporate governance, conflict-of-interest procedures and recent import sourcing. He pressed Board BIA on who knew what and when, probed the timing of directors' concerns, and questioned the importation of Brazilian beef and chicken from outside the European Union while urging a depersonalised resolution for the farming community.
Opening remarks
He welcomed Mr. Moran and his team, acknowledged Board BIA's work promoting exports and saluted entrepreneurs from small farms to large operations. He said it was regrettable the issue had become personal and urged all parties to park egos and return to business in the interest of the farming community and the agri-food sector.
Corporate governance and conflict practice
He referenced his practice on the Iraq Disorder Committee of declaring conflicts of interest and asked whether the same practice was always adhered to at every meeting chaired by the Board BIA representative. He asked about the existence of conflict logs, whether members excused themselves when required, and whether anything in those logs needed to be drawn to the committee's attention.
Timeline of directors' concerns
He asked when two board members first raised concerns about the chair's external business operations. The witness said they spoke with both presidents the weekend before the board meeting, that the issue circulated on social media for days, and that one farm organisation requested a special meeting on the Monday - prompting a special full-board meeting held the following Thursday with all present.
Import sourcing and legality questions
He sought clarification that it was not illegal to import Brazilian beef or to bring chicken from outside the European Union into Ireland, and the witness confirmed those imports were not illegal. He expressed farmers' understandable concerns and asked whether Board BIA's company would reconsider sourcing beef within the European Union; the witness replied they represent 7-10% of imports, could not ignore customer needs and were open to dialogue with farm organisations.
Call for resolution and further engagement
He urged a factual focus on corporate governance and who knew what and when, welcomed farm organisations representing farmers' views, and said he was open to dialogue and assisting further. The emphasis was on depersonalising the debate and securing a resolution that serves agriculture and export promotion.
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Firstly, I want to welcome Mr. Moran and his team of people here today. I think there's been an interesting debate and an interesting dialogue. There's been a lot of focus on you, Mr. Moran, and your business enterprises. And I don't think we're going to gain much further by going on with that level of questioning. I think we must not drop the ball here. Today, we have people before us from Board BIA. And my focus is going to be on Board BIA. And it's going to be on the corporate governance. And who knew what and when? Because I think they're the questions. But the very outset, I want to say, I think it's regrettable, this has become a deeply personal issue. I'm unhappy with the level of commentary that I've read. I think people need to climb down from this mountain that they've built, this barrier that they've built in front of them. We owe it to the farming community, the agri-food sector, that we serve them well. We reward and acknowledge enterprise, be it farm enterprise, commercial enterprise, enterprise in the agri-sector, the agri-food sector. I salute entrepreneurs. I support entrepreneurs, be they small one-person operations to a large operation. I think that's important. I want to acknowledge the amazing work that Board BIA do. It is ultimately focused on, I would like to think, driving our exports. We showcase, we have a wonderful global food story to proclaim, and we do it most of the time. So I suppose at the very outset, I want to put it on the record, I think it's regrettable on all sides that the level has become very personal. And I think we've got to park all of that, and we've got to get a resolution. Because clearly, let's deal in facts here. The government are clearly supporting your retention in Board BIA. There is an issue with farm organizations, some farm organizations that might want change. But we've got to get over that. We've got to get over people's egos, and we've got to get back to business, and we've got to continue to promote agriculture. So I want to just say a few comments, then I'll say to you today here, and one is in relation to the corporate governance. I sit on the Iraq Disorder Committee, and at every meeting that we sit in here, we are asked to state our conflict of interest, if we have any. And if we have, we state it, and if we have to be excused from the meeting, we do so. Can you confirm to me, and let's keep these questions short. Can you confirm to me that that practice was always adhered to at every meeting that you chaired in the Board, yes or no? It was. Right. Were there any concerns, do you keep a log, or you should keep a log, of those conflicts of interest? Always. Is there anything in those logs that you would like to bring to our attention? Not, I don't believe there is. You don't believe it was comfortable. People took appropriate steps to leave, if that was necessary. Was that correct? Yes. Okay. So, can you then tell us, in terms of two members of your Board expressed concerns about your business operations, external to your work in the Board, when did they first bring them to your attention? You personally, as opposed to you in your corporate sense, can you recall at what time, date, and point these two directors brought concern to your attention? The weekend before the Board meeting was held, I spoke with both presidents on the phone, and we discussed the matter. And on the Monday morning, the issue was running around on social media for four days, I believe, and I spoke with both presidents. And on the Monday morning, one of the farm organizations requested a special meeting to discuss it, the letter was addressed to Mr. O'Toole, the chief executive. Another letter was received that evening, Monday evening, and I agreed within two hours to hold a special meeting to discuss it, and that meeting was held on the Thursday, which was the soonest it could have been held. And that was the full board? Full board. It wasn't a side show? It wasn't a side meeting? No, all present. It wasn't a side telephone call? All present. Okay, that's grand. Okay, I just want to clarify that. I think what's also important, I'm going to confirm it because I believe this to be the case, it is not illegal to import Brazilian beef into Ireland. Is that correct? No, it's not illegal. Right. It's not illegal to bring chickens outside of the European Union into Ireland? No, it's not illegal. I think that's important for the people looking in here today because there's a lot of misconceptions. While it's not ideal, and I have to say I would share farmers' concerns, and I'd like to think that your company would reconsider the importation of any Brazilian beef, be it 1% into Ireland, do you have any ambition to outsource or look at the sourcing of that again? Could you give a commitment that you would seek to source beef? You've talked about pork. You don't bring pork from outside the European Union. Do you bring chicken from outside the European Union? We are part of an import figure that Ireland imports. We represent between 7% and 10% of all the imports that come in. In terms of beef, would you reconsider, in light of what's happened, in light of the understandable anger of the farming community and their representative bodies, who I want to also welcome here, because they are representing farmers, and that is the valid reason they're here. They have a point of view, it might differ from yours, but would you consider, at another opportunity in terms of a break-in contract, would you consider refocusing and attempting to source, give a commitment to resource beef within the European Union? Thank you for your question, Senator. We can't ignore the needs of customers in this particular framework, if you will. I'm absolutely open to sitting down and having dialogue with the farm organisations, absolutely open, because that is the only way to do it. That answers that. Can we finish? I'm sorry. I'm with the clock. I'm ultimately also open to assisting through my knowledge and other expertise that will make Ireland stronger, in every respect, but I cannot guarantee. Okay, what I would say is, I believe that is a good proposition. I believe you should consider it. You should consider the mistakes, people have to learn, but I think if you could possibly direct your energy and your resources to curtailing the importation of any beef outside the union, I think it would satisfy people a lot. I'm going to leave it there. The following on. I was in a supermarket. I was brought to my attention by somebody that's actually here in the audience today, in relation to a supermarket, and it had your brand on, not your brand, the Board BIA Quality Insurance. Irish herbs, Thai style, curry mix. I was tempted to bring a bag in, but that might have been a bit too much, and it says coriander, Thai basil, and lemongrass. It has a picture of the grower, and at the bottom of the line, it's the Board BIA branding, and at the bottom it says, grown in Kenya and Spain. So you can understand people's confidence. So, sorry, can I just say, I'm in the time, can you just, can I finish on that, just to say two things, and I will finish on this, and I've been quite concise. I think we need a solution, and I think the solution can be a commitment to how you source your beef. And I finish on this, I think everyone in this room is on the one page. We want Irish beef, chicken and pork on Irish plates. We do not want heads on plates. I believe we've got to bang our heads together, and we've got to get a resolution, and I think we have it there, if we can change the focus, change the dial in relation to the importation of beef. Thank you, Senator.
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