Farming: Minister Heydon publishes Bord Bia external review

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, published the Independent External Board Effectiveness Review of the Board of Bord Bia.

The review was commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and carried out by Governance Ireland.

The review found that Bord Bia has an effective, capable and committed Board, with strong governance structures and processes, and led by a Chair who is widely viewed as providing clear leadership and maintaining appropriate focus on governance and strategy. 

The review did not highlight any significant concerns regarding the Board’s composition or statutory compliance. It found that the Board is strong and diverse, with a valuable mix of skills, experience and industry perspectives.

The review identified that the controversy arising in early 2026 exposed some weaknesses, particularly in relation to the need for clarity on procedures to deal with actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest, clarity on the role of Board members and the need for Board confidentiality.

Considering these findings, the review makes a series of recommendations aimed at supporting the Board to deliver on its remit in a more effective manner. These recommendations centre around strengthening governance processes, board culture and providing for induction and ongoing training for Board members.

Commenting on the report, Minister Heydon said: “I welcome the completion of this report. I will be engaging with the Chair and the Board of Bord Bia, requesting that they develop a timely and effective Action Plan to address the very practical recommendations in this report, and that they regularly update me on progress.” 

The Minister added: “I note that Bord Bia is already increasing its engagement with stakeholders through both the establishment of a farmer forum on Quality Assurance Schemes - with the first meeting taking place later this month - and the development of an Audit Ready campaign, to support farmers as they prepare for their audit. 

"I hope that these initiatives will enhance the two-way communication between Bord Bia and its farmer members, who are the bedrock of the agri-food sector’s export success.” 

 Concluding, the Minister said: “The work Bord Bia carries out in promoting quality Irish food and drink products, both at home and abroad, delivers important benefits both to farmers and the food and drinks industry. 

"Having an effective and well-functioning Board is also important to me as Minister in ensuring proper accountability and governance for Bord Bia’s role as a non-commercial state body under the aegis of my Department. I am confident that the implementation of the recommendations from this independent review will help to further strengthen the Board of Bord Bia in fulfilling its important mandate.” 

The full report can be found on the Department’s website.