Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 10 April 2024

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Bord Bia: Chairperson Designate

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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Mr. Murrin undoubtedly comes to the position with a very impressive CV and a broad knowledge of industry gained over many years. I sat on the board of Bord Bia for six years. It does a seriously good job in promoting Irish food. As stakeholders in the industry, we do get value for money for what is spent in Bord Bia.

Before I go to the other members, I want to ask two questions. The first relates to the live export of young calves. A certain number of calves were exported this year but each year it seems to get more difficult and problematic. The media focuses on the exportation of calves and so on. Friesian bull calves are sought after by the veal units but getting them to the Continent is proving ever more problematic. Does Mr. Murrin think it is feasible for this country to establish its own veal production? If so, would we have the capability of marketing it on the Continent where the Belgians and Dutch have been at it for a long time.

Origin Green brings great benefits for Irish food and puts forward a particular image of the country in the context of the food produced here. We have seen a greater emphasis on organic production. Is there any danger that organics could undermine the status of Origin Green? There is a product that the country has produced in Origin Green, but there is an add-on of being organic against the mainstream production that is non-organic. Is there a danger that we might undo some of the strength of Origin Green, on which we have been working very hard and spending a great deal of money to show that we have a unique product that is produced in a clean environment and in a very sustainable fashion, with another product that is claiming to do more?