Sinn Féin’s farming spokesperson Claire Kerrane TD has accused an Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of being “patronising” and “dismissive” in comments he made to Dáil Éireann on issues affecting rural Ireland during a debate on Wednesday.

Kerrane suggested that Macra’s march from Athy to Government Buildings on Wednesday demonstrated a failure of the current government to deliver on rural issues, such as affordable housing.

“Macra are raising eight main issues, including a lack of affordable housing, sparse healthcare services, lack of public transport, a lack of planning for rural communities informed by rural people and imposition of quotas on young farmers when it comes to supports,” Kerrane said.

“My question to you Taoiseach is how do you intend to respond to the really determined and ambitious demand for change for this generation?” she asked.

An Taoiseach responded by stating that census data shows that the population of rural areas are rising and that he would meet with Macra once they arrived.

“In the round, rural Ireland is doing okay. Why do I say that? In the census, numbers only out in the last couple of months, the population in every county in Ireland is increasing,” Varadkar said.

“Not a single county is now seeing population decrease and that is important. It goes against the false narrative that you try to put across regularly.”

Sinn Féin response

“This is well and good. However, the services have not followed. We have not seen an increase in affordable housing, none in most counties in fact, no increase in healthcare and public transport remains non-existent in many parts,” Kerrane replied after the debate.

“This attitude from the Taoiseach that ‘everything is rosy in rural Ireland’ is patronising and dismissive. It is also inaccurate, as people from rural communities have outlined time and time again as they call for government support to tackle the issues affecting them.”

Tax reliefs

The Fine Gael leader told the Dáil that the current Government will not cease tax reliefs for young farmers and claimed that these reliefs are not guaranteed by left-leaning parties.

“One thing I can assure young farmers who are on their way to Dublin at the moment [is] that as long as this Government is in office, all of the schemes, all of the tax breaks that exist for young farmers will be protected. You don’t get that guarantee from a left-led government,” Varadkar commented.