MEP: 'Dismissive rhetoric risks deepening divisions' between urban and rural
An MEP has said that "dismissive rhetoric risks deepening divisions" between those in urban and rural Ireland.
MEP Ciaran Mullooly has described former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's recent remarks as "insulting and dangerously out of touch" with rural Ireland.
Varadkar has been slammed for comments he made on a recent podcast appearance.
Speaking with Matt Cooper on the Path to Power podcast, Varadkar claimed that what is "in the interests of farmers in the agriculture industry is by and large not in the interests of Ireland as a nation".
He went on to state that farmers "still see themselves as the people who bring money and jobs into Ireland, where actually a lot of the time they bring costs on Ireland".
Varadkar also said on the Path to Power podcast: "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 maybe we 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."
'Insulting'
Mullooly has hit back at the comments by former Taoiseach Varadkar, describing them as "insulting, misleading and a clear sign of how disconnected some political voices have become from the real economy of this country".
“It is with genuine surprise and deep concern that I listened to Leo Varadkar sneer at Irish farmers over the weekend,” Mullooly said.
“That kind of language betrays a complete failure to understand what Irish agriculture means - economically, socially and strategically.”
Mullooly said the facts "tell a very different story".
“According to the Central Statistics Office, agricultural output reached €14 billion in 2025, up 12% on the previous year," he said.
"Agricultural operating surplus rose to €5.5 billion, up 29%.
"Livestock output hit €5.9 billion, milk €4.5 billion and crops €2.7 billion. A 43% increase in cattle prices was a major driver of income growth.
"These are not the figures of a sector to be mocked - they are the figures of a sector that is producing, performing and sustaining rural Ireland.”
Internationally
He said the strength of the sector is also reflected internationally.
“Bord Bia confirms Irish food, drink and horticulture exports rose by 12% in 2025 to a record €19 billion. That is not a side story in the Irish economy - it is one of the main stories," Mullooly said.
The MEP said critics "fail to grasp a crucial point about Irish agriculture".
“A euro of agri-food exports is not the same as a euro from sectors dependent on imported components or offshore production. Irish agriculture is home-grown," he said.
"The cow is bred, reared, fed, transported, processed and sold through a supply chain largely based in Ireland.
"That means the value stays here. We do not import parts of the cow.
"The land is Irish, the herd is Irish, the labour is Irish, and the spending flows through Irish merchants, vets, hauliers, marts, processors and rural businesses.
"That is the real economy - not a spreadsheet abstraction."
'Dismissive rhetoric'
Mullooly warned that dismissive rhetoric risks deepening divisions.
“When people talk down Irish farming, they are not just insulting farmers - they are belittling one of the state’s most deeply-rooted indigenous industries," he said.
"Farmers are not looking for special treatment. They are working to the highest standards in the world while facing rising costs, tighter regulation and growing uncertainty.
"When they raise concerns, it is not whining - it is a warning."
Mullooly called on the government to "show leadership and respect".
“Leo Varadkar’s remarks are misleading and reckless," he said.
"They risk fuelling division between urban and rural Ireland at a time when we should be pulling together.
"Irish farmers are not whiners. They are workers, producers, exporters and the backbone of rural Ireland.
"They deserve respect - and it’s time government started showing it."
Varadkar on rural Ireland
In the summer of 2023, when he was Taoiseach, Varadkar spoke of the "government's commitment to rural Ireland".
Speaking at the Bannow and Rathangan Agricultural Show at that time, Varadkar had said he was aware that sometimes when there is a Taoiseach that "comes from Dublin" and ministers as well, "people may feel that we don't give enough regard to rural Ireland".
"As is the case for almost everyone in Dublin, we're only one generation from the farm and my family are farming in west Waterford, part of the dairy industry and I absolutely guarantee you they keep me informed about what's happening," he said.
