Former Taoiseach under fire - Leitrim Live readers have their say

Leitrim Live readers have had their say after recent comments by Leo Varadkar made about rural Ireland and claims that the former Taoiseach called Leitrim a "welfare scam".

The comments came to light after Cllr Paddy O'Rourke spoke to Niall Delaney on Oceanfm about comments made by the former Taosieach on Matt Cooper on the Path to Power podcast.

Mr Varadkar had stated that "the interests of farmers in the agriculture industry is by and large not in the interests of Ireland as a nation" and 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".

READ MORE: Leitrim is 'merely one elaborate social welfare scam' - former Taoiseach slammed for alleged comments

Mr Varadkar also 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 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."

Cllr O'Rourke went back to January 2005, saying that Mr Varadkar made a disparaging remark about Leitrim as a councillor: "He said, 'There is no such place as Leitrim; it is merely one elaborate social welfare scam down there'."

One comment read: "As a Dubliner living and working in Leitrim, I would have regarded him as a more open-minded person and forward thinking, yet I was annoyed by his statement. All you have to do is drive to work and see farmers already half way through their day, witness communities out preparing with pride (thinking especially of passing by Cox's in Dromod each morning making sure the road is swept for the day)."

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He continued: "The innovators within Leitrim that worked hard to get their name out there and local people on lower wages all doing the same job as those in Dublin on higher wages but paying the same costs down here as they do. Come down from the city and we'll sit by the Shannon watching you try to survive on the average wage. Some places need support, not as a freebie but because you've pushed the prices and cost of living up so much while retaining and consolidating the investments up there. Every citizen is entitled to a share of the earnings. Disappointed in you."

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Another observer was complimentary of Cllr O'Rourke's statements. "Great to see somebody in Leitrim standing up for the people of Leitrim. Well said Paddy O Rourke."

Another said: "Rural Ireland showed how relevant they were with the protests. Had to use riot squad and army to move them."

Another remark stated: "That's total nonsense. The amount of young people join the Gards in Leitrim. It's not what people are like at all. They're resilient. Resourceful. Tourism as well. Forestry. There' more happening in Leitrim. When did he say that?"

Yet another penned: "Rural Ireland homeowners, pay extra tariffs for electricity and property tax (like for like price bands), have to drive everywhere as the public transport doesn't exist. Comments like that really annoy me."