Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has acknowledged that he went too far and overstated his remarks about rural Ireland made last week.
Speaking on the Path to Power podcast, hosted by Matt Cooper, Mr Varadkar said that people living in urban areas pay more in taxes, while those in rural Ireland were “in receipt of a lot of subsidies and a lot of tax benefits that other people don’t get”, reports RTE.
He added: “What’s in the interest of farmers and the agriculture industry is by and large not in the interest of Ireland as a nation.”
Today, Mr Varadkar said he had not intended to be divisive or to offend, and offered an apology for his remarks, reports RTE.
He said he had broken his own rule of avoiding commentary on sensitive political matters during live broadcasts.
However, he maintained that some of his points were valid, noting that most tax revenue is generated in urban Ireland and that 80% of food consumed in the country is now imported, reports RTE.
A Fine Gael TD welcomed the apology but said the former Taoiseach had let the party down.
Tipperary South TD Michael Murphy said constituents in his area were angered by the comments, reports RTE.
He said the remarks came at a time when politicians should have been working to lower tensions.
At a meeting of the Fine Gael parliamentary party this evening, Tánaiste Simon Harris stressed that his party has consistently supported rural Ireland, reports RTE.
Mr Harris said the party had set up the Department of Rural Affairs and delivered unprecedented levels of investment into rural communities.
The Tánaiste told TDs and Senators that he does not believe in dividing people based on where they live or the work they do, reports RTE.
Whether someone resides in a rural or urban area, he said, or whether they are a farmer, self-employed, or employed, what matters most are their values and the contributions they make, reports RTE.
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