O'Brien returns as Westmeath IFA chairman

Bord Bia, Bluetongue and Mercosur dominated discussions as members of Westmeath IFA gathered for their annual general meeting. Farmers arrived early to Bloomfield House Hotel, Mullingar for the opportunity to engage with the organisation on current farming issues. High on the agenda was the selection of the chairperson, and incumbent Richard O’Brien was ratified unopposed.

Speaking after his reappointment, Mr O’Brien highlighted the issues that have been to the fore as he entered his fourth term in the role.

“We have the threat of Mercosur,” he told the Examiner, “that could be activated in three or four months’ time. It’s before the European Court of Justice at the moment. Retaining the Nitrates derogation and holding our government to account on Mercosur is down to the hard work of the IFA.

“The new CAP has been negotiated. CAP funding should be directed at those farmers who are farming the land sustainably and producing food; tending to livestock; and harvesting the crops. As Ireland is taking on the presidency of the EU from July 1, it should put us in a stronger position if we can build a bridge with our agriculture minister.”

Last month, Westmeath became the focus of attention as thousands of farmers gathered for a protest as part of a national demonstration and rally in Athlone against the EU-Mercosur deal. Irish farmers strongly oppose the Mercosur agreement, allowing South American countries to export up to 99,000 tonnes of beef to the European Union at a much-reduced tariff.

The issues making headlines on the farming front suggest a fraught time for farming, but Mr O’Brien says there are still a lot of positives: “We had a good year from a market point of view, throughout the whole year. It started off good, sector-wise, and finished off good in most sectors. It did get a bit heated towards the end of the year.

“We had good engagement with the local council over a number of issues, including dog attacks and farm inspections. Greenway consultation was another one that we have had affirmative progression on. They listened to us, to a point anyway, on the new greenway from Kilbeggan to Mullingar.”

Other officers elected at the AGM included: Willie Flannigan, president, Brendan Coffey, vice-chair, John Bagnal, secretary, Maura Fallon, assistant secretary, and Joe Henson as PRO.

“We have a right good team in the county with our officers,” Richard said. “I feel it’s not bragging but if the captain of the ship isn’t good, it doesn’t work. We have great people working for farming in Westmeath. “If people just ring and look for support they are always there. In the last few years we have built up a good relationship with members, going around to branches for the branch AGMs. To be honest, I get a kick out of it myself. I like meeting those people and listening to their insights.”

The local IFA chair highlighted the plight of one particular sector of farming. A total of 1,398 farmers exited tillage farming between 2022 and 2025, numbers falling from 12,849 to 11,451 in 2024. In 2024 there was a decline of 103 farms, 75% of those tillage. “The tillage sector is one of the commodities that had a very poor year last year,” Richard said. “We did get a little bit of a bailout package, but it wasn’t half what we looked for. Martin Hayden (Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine) told us at our own national AGM that it’s a sector that he’s still looking at promoting, but he has to find the money for it,” Mr O’Brien concluded.

Local IFA members join protest at Bord Bia HQ in Dublin

Last Thursday members of the IFA commenced a sit-down protest inside the offices of Bord Bia in Dublin in their campaign for the removal of the agency’s chair, Larry Murrin.

The protest is in response to Mr Murrin’s company Dawn Farms, using some Brazilian beef in its meat products.

The IFA, along with the ICMSA, believe Mr Murrin’s position represents a conflict of interest, given Bord Bia’s role in promoting Irish food, and have called for him to step down as chair of the semi-state agency.

The IFA members entered the building at around 2pm last Thursday. Hay bales were used to keep the entrance doors to the Bord Bia building propped open.

“We can’t leave there. We’re not leaving. We’re not willing to leave,” Richard O’Brien, Westmeath IFA chairman, said of the protest.

Mr O’Brien said the protesters are committed to making a stand on the issue: “There were 11 people in there when I was leaving. I left at 12 o’clock (on Thursday). They are set up to go in for the long haul anyway.

“There is a roster, with members from two or three counties there together, which is good because they’ll have a bit of camaraderie between the different ends of the country.”

The stand-off between farmers and the government over the issue has seen the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and Minister for Agriculture all giving Mr Murrin their full backing.

The Westmeath IFA chairman says the protesters have one goal: “The only solution I can see is that Fine Gael doesn’t let arrogance get in its way.

“I feel there’s a slight tone of arrogance there now. They’re not going to be told what to do with Sinn Féin, and they’re lashing out at us.

“We generally do have a good relationship with Fine Gael, and Sinn Féin for that matter.

“If we have issues, we can usually work with them on it. But they’re kind of lashing out at us saying that we have damaged the confidence in Bord Bia. We haven’t.

“Our position is that we have no faith in the chairman.”

Bord Bia plays a vital role in food security. A Bord Bia audit for farmers is a mandatory, independent inspection held every 18 months to certify compliance with Irish food safety, traceability, animal welfare, and sustainability standards. It validates quality for consumer markets, enables farm-level carbon footprint calculations, and is essential for securing bonuses when selling cattle or sheep.

Mr O’Brien spoke of the importance of the relationship between farmers and the board: “We’re highlighting to all our members that if they have a Bord Bia audit coming up, they should go ahead and do it. Let the auditor come on your farm, at the end of the day, the auditors are coming in to do the job. When the audit is done, you’re certified for 18 months. Hopefully this will be resolved soon.”

Larry Murrin appeared before the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture and Food.