Farmers' body criticises ex-Taoiseach's comments on rural Ireland

The Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers' Association (ICSA) has criticised comments made by ex-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar about rural Ireland, describing them as "deeply misguided" and arguing that they risk creating "a false and damaging divide" between urban and rural areas.

Speaking on Matt Cooper’s 'Path to Power' podcast, Mr Varadkar said: "People in rural Ireland are very quick to tell people in urban Ireland that 'we're the real workers, we're the ones paying all the bills, we're the ones feeding the country'.

"I think we maybe need to be a little bit more blunt in urban Ireland and say actually, that's not the case. We're the ones paying all the bills and you're the ones in receipt of a lot of subsidies and a lot of tax benefits that other people don't get.

"Maybe we need to sit around the table and have an honest discussion about that kind of stuff," said the former Fine Gael leader.

Responding, ICSA Rural Development chair Edmond Phelan said: "Framing rural Ireland as somehow dependent on urban taxpayers is both misleading and unhelpful. It ignores the reality that our economy is interconnected, with each sector relying on the other.

"While farmers do receive CAP supports, these reflect the realities of food production in a highly competitive market where farmers have little influence over the prices they receive, while production costs continue to rise.

"These payments help sustain viable food production in a highly regulated system and support farm incomes that would otherwise not be sustainable," he added.

"In sectors such as beef, suckler, and sheep farming, incomes remain persistently low despite these supports."

Mr Phelan went on to point out the agri-food sector continues to make a significant contribution to the Irish economy through exports and employment.

"Agriculture is one of the country’s largest indigenous sectors, with agri-food exports now worth over €20 billion annually.

"Its impact goes far beyond the farm gate, and the idea that one part of the country is 'paying for' another does not reflect how the economy actually works," he said.

"The focus must be on ensuring farmers are properly supported to meet the expectations being placed on them. Farmers are being asked to take on additional costs and responsibilities, often without any clear pathway to make that pay.

"Attempts to portray rural Ireland as a burden on the rest of the country are wrong, divisive, and show a complete lack of understanding of how the Irish economy actually works," he concluded.

Mr Varadkar's comments were also criticised by Offaly TD Carol Nolan.

In a statement today, the Independent TD said: "To have a former Taoiseach, blithely offering sweeping and denigrating remarks about rural Ireland, should not surprise anyone who has been paying close attention to his party’s policies, policies that, with the aid of Fianna Fáil and the Greens, have placed a stranglehold around rural Ireland for the last 14 years.

"That being said, for Mr Varadkar to let the mask drop in so casual and callous a fashion is utterly remarkable. All that spin from Fine Gael about its commitment to rural Ireland now looks completely hollow," said Deputy Nolan.