Longford MEP slams Varadkar remarks as being “insulting and dangerously out of touch”

Longford MEP Ciaran Mullooly has hit back strongly at comments by former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar dismissing Irish farmers, describing his recent remarks as “insulting, misleading and a clear sign of how disconnected some political voices have become from the real economy of this country.”

The comments were made on a recent episode of Matt Cooper's podcast, where the former Taoiseach suggested that urban populations are “the ones paying all the bills".

Mr Varadkar also stated rural communities are “in receipt of a lot of subsidies and a lot of tax benefits that other people don’t get.”

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Mr Mullooly outlined he was taken aback by the comments.

“It is with genuine surprise and deep concern that I listened to Leo Varadkar sneer at Irish farmers over the weekend," he said.

“That kind of language betrays a complete failure to understand what Irish agriculture means - economically, socially and strategically.”

Mr Mullooly said the facts tell a very different story.

“According to the CSO, agricultural output reached €14 billion in 2025, up 12% on the previous year. 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.”

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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.”

Mr Mullooly 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.

"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.”