The idea "we run to the government to support us everytime the price of diesel goes above €2 a litre is a nonsense" according to Michael O'Leary.

Fuel prices have soared against the backdrop of the current Middle East crisis prompting fears that farmer will not only have to cope with an increase in day to day costs but also a sharp rise in crucial contracting bills.

However the boss of Ryanair - who is also a suckler farmer with 650 pedigree Angus cattle - believes that the Irish government has moved sufficient supports in place in relation to the fuel price spike.

O'Leary told Agriland: "I'd be generally critical of the Irish government and the inaction of the Irish government, particularly on things like the Dublin airport (passenger) cap, which is a national embarrassment.

"I'd be far more impressed if they provided less support and reduced taxes on the hard pressed middle income earners."

Aside from supports in relation to the current high price of fuel in Ireland, O'Leary has also very definite views when it comes to other types of support in the form of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments.

In a special episode of Agriland's Beef Brief podcast he told technical beef journalist, Breifne O’Brien that he is "not a great supporter of CAP payments generally".

"Any of those subsidies that come from whether it is CAP, subsidies for rebuilding houses, or for derelict houses, generally, the subsidies will all be squandered," he said.

However the Ryanair boss also believes that in relation to CAP there are certain systems in place which should be maintained for example in relation to retired farmers.

Last year the European Commission put forward its proposal setting out conditions for  the next CAP from 2028 to 2034. 

According to the commission’s proposal, the CAP would no longer be funded from funds dedicated to agriculture (European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development), but from the a new €865 billion National and Regional Partnership (NRP) Fund.

As part of these proposals the commission also suggested that "farmers who reach the retirement age determined by national law and who receive a retirement pension, would no longer be eligible for degressive area-based income support".

According to O'Leary CAP payments to retired farmers should currently continue.

"They should be maintained until such time as we scrap the CAP system altogether," the Ryanair boss added.