The Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary and Chairperson of the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, Jackie Cahill TD has hit out at recent comments by the Limerick’s Green Party TD, Brian Leddin in relation to the role of the agricultural industry in the Irish economy and how it is represented in Dáil Éireann.
Deputy Cahill says he takes grave exception to Deputy Leddin’s comments describing the Limerick man’s comments as “ignorant and misleading”. The comments came in the wake of the proposed EU Nature Restoration law which is to be finalised in Europe this Summer. Deputy Cahill says the reality is that Irish agri-food exports totalled €18.7 Billion in 2022, representing a 21% year on year increase. The Thurles based TD is a dairy farmer and questions how rural Ireland could survive without the AgriFood Sector and how would food supplies could cope if Ireland produced less food.
The Oireachtas Agriculture Committee Chair also defended the efficiency with which the sector performs from an emissions perspective. Deputy Cahill described the EU Nature Restoration proposals as “illogical, unachievable and nonsensical.“ Deputy Cahill committed to support the Agrifood industry and rebuked his government colleague saying that “Rural Ireland is not simply a park for the Greens to entertain themselves” .
