Simon Harris says politicians need to realise that farming is 'not a hobby'

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA

There needs to be a reset in the relationship between Irish politicians and farmers, Taoiseach Simon Harris has said.

Speaking during a visit to the National Council of the Irish Farmers’ Association in Dublin, Mr Harris said politicians talk about farming in a way they would not about any other part of the Irish economy.

He also said that the farming community requires support to help the sector to meet ambitious environmental targets.

Speaking to the media ahead of addressing the council, Mr Harris said: “I think we have to press reset on the relationship with farmers.

“I definitely know from speaking to farmers that they feel that they are talked at and talked down to far too often.

“There is a climate emergency in the world, there is no doubt about that, the planet is on fire and there is a need to take action, but the responsibility for all of that doesn’t all fall to farmers.

“I hear politicians talking about farming in a way they wouldn’t talk about any other part of the Irish economy.

“We have to help farmers, we have to help them transition.

“Yes, we need to take climate action but we also need to produce food – it is a really important part of our Irish economic model.

“At a time when the risk of a trans-Atlantic trade shock is rising and the impact that can have on foreign direct investment in Ireland and in Europe, it is more important than ever that we support Irish indigenous business.

“There is nothing more indigenous than Irish farming.”

The Fine Gael leader said politicians need to realise that farming is “not a hobby”.

He added: “When parties, including my own, publish our manifestos, a lot of the projects in those manifestos are funding off the back of tax receipts paid by the agri-food sector in Ireland.”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also addressed the National Council on Tuesday.

In his address, the Tánaiste said the government needed to “break the cycle of insecurity” which farmers face.

He said: “I want us to move on to a new agenda of permanent security for farming and for the expansion of our agri-food industry as an economic anchor for our country.

“In the manifesto we released yesterday we provide over €280 million per year in new funding for agriculture.”