Cowen criticises “out of touch” Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín over lack of knowledge on farming and agriculture sector

Barry Cowen TD, the Fianna Fáil candidate for the European Elections in the Midlands North West, has criticised Peadar Tóibín over his lack of knowledge on farming.

Deputy Cowen and the Aontú party leader clashed during RTÉ's first televised debate ahead of the European Elections, Upfront with Katie Hannon on Monday night. Deputy Cowen, for whom agriculture and sustainable food production is a key priority of his European campaign, insists Tóibín is "out of touch with farmers" after the Aontú candidate claimed the average wage for farmers was just €25,000 per annum.

"It's obvious Peadar Tóibín is from an urban area because he is clearly out of touch with the farming community," Deputy Cowen said today. "He isn't even aware of how much they are getting paid.

"I have no idea where he got his figures from, he's making it up as he goes along with a total disregard for facts and reality - uninspiring to say the least and it would be of no benefit and embarrassing to all concerned if in a representational role for the farming sector in Brussels.

"The average income for a farmer in Ireland is much closer to €42,000 per year, not €25,000 as he claimed last night. Taking account of the income developments across the various farm systems, the average family farm income in Ireland rose by almost 32% in 2022 to around €45,800 - though that was a bumper year.

"However it is important to emphasise that this increase is almost entirely attributable to the sharp rise in dairy and tillage farm incomes, and a different perspective emerges when looking at income development in the drystock farming systems, with lower farm incomes reported on about half of all drystock farms in 2022. I fully recognise the disparity between the sectors and that will be a core issue for me as I seek additional support for livestock and sheep farmers who are often in the vulnerable income sector - I will strongly advocate for these sectors, and environmental and production supports can address this.

"Deputy Tóibín, like Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, also denied any knowledge of funding provisions already underway by Government for Nature Restoration schemes. Those funds will cater for any farm that opts into such schemes, but it's important to note that any farmer that opt outs will not see any impact on their Single Farm Payment. Deputy Tóibín and Ming Flanagan also failed to acknowledge that the EU has already funded Bord na Móna to the tune of €100 million towards rewetting, who together with Coillte now have the capacity to meet all of Ireland's obligations. To acknowledge such progress would of course render their sinister tactics useless.

"How can farmers and food producers rely on Peadar Tóibín or the likes of Aontú in the European Parliament if he doesn't even know the basics? Agriculture is the most significantly affected sector by what goes on in Brussels, and we need people who know farming inside out in order to get the best deals for our farmers.

"Clearly, it's not seen as a priority issue by Aontú, whereas it is central to my campaign and I will continue to champion the issues of farmers if I am elected to the European Parliament on June 7th.

"Thankfully, farmer income isn't as low as Deputy Tóibín mistakenly believes, but we still need to see more financial rewards for those working in the agriculture sector - they are the lifeblood of rural communities and farm families need to be supported to make their farm a profitable business.

"Environmental schemes for farmers and food producers should be voluntary and funding should be upfront. Farmers should be rewarded with profits for environmental delivery, and funding for such schemes must be separate and distinct from the Common Agriculture Policy.

"I believe I am the experienced candidate in the Midlands North West and farmers can rely on me to be a strong voice for them in Europe."

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