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Offaly-based Independent Carol Nolan has criticised remarks made by the outgoing Taoiseach urging farmers not to vote for independent candidates in the upcoming general election.
Simon Harris was speaking at the Irish Farmers' Association hustings in Tullamore on Tuesday.
The Fine Gael leader called on voters in Offaly not to vote for independent candidates if they wanted to “strengthen the voice” of his party in government.
Responding to the remarks, Deputy Nolan said the remarks have “gone down like a lead balloon among farmers”.
She said that they “have not for forgiven or forgotten the impact of the outgoing government's policies on farm incomes and farm sustainability levels”.
“The Taoiseach and his party may be willing to treat Irish farmers like fools, but I am not.”
Farm incomes
The outgoing independent TD cited a recent Teagasc national farm survey, which she said shows the average tillage farm income was down 71% in 2023 relative to 2022, while the average family farm income in Ireland dropped by 57% in 2023 to just under €20,000.
“Fine Gael and its former government partners may point to the introduction of supports under the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme, the National Beef Welfare Scheme and the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme, but as Teagasc point[s] out, the average cattle rearing income was just over €7,400 in 2023, down 15% or close to €1,350 compared with the 2022 level,” Nolan added.
“I will take no lectures from Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil or the Greens on how voters need to steer clear of Independents such as myself who has consistently promoted a reality-based pro-farm family stance, while government was introducing measures that amounted to a bureaucratic and financial stranglehold on farm operations.
“The Taoiseach may think he can get away with this kind of ‘innocent bystander’ electioneering. I can assure him farmers in Offaly will soon give him their response.”
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