Varadkar ‘betrayed Irish beef farmers’
Anger over Taoiseach’s ‘eating less meat’ remark
THE Taoiseach was accused of betraying Irish beef farmers yesterday for saying earlier in the week that he was trying to eat less meat.
Kerry TD Michael HealyRae declared in the Dáil: ‘The Taoiseach has absolutely no understanding of the anger at the comment he made yesterday, be it flippant or whatever way he meant it.
‘It is clear the Taoiseach is not a farmer with a shed full of cattle, trying to finish them and sell them at whatever price the factory would give him.’
Fianna Fáil TD Charlie McConalogue said the Taoiseach, in response to a question as to what he personally was doing to assist with climate change, had given advice to eat less meat.
‘As the leader of a Government, one of whose objectives it to promote our beef sector and Angered: Danny Healy-Rae increase our international beef exports, would he accept that is not the type of leadership or direction we expect from him as Taoiseach?’ he asked. ‘He should be promoting the fact that Ireland is the most efficient country in Europe in which to produce beef.’
The Taoiseach replied: ‘I did not give anybody dietary advice or suggest that anyone else do anything. I was specifically asked what I was doing on climate change and I said that I was trying to eat less red meat. I am not giving it up. Indeed, I had a very nice Hereford steak last night. I can assure deputies that I have not become a vegan or anything like that.’
Cows, due to their emissions, are a major source of gases contributing to climate change.
Mr Varadkar also warned: ‘I said that I was trying to eat less red meat for two reasons, health and climate change. My comment was not flippant. It is a fact that red meat increases the risk of cancer and contributes more to climate change.’
Danny Healy-Rae TD accused him of making a bad situation worse, commenting: ‘I am asking him and the Minister for Agriculture to recognise that beef farmers are facing a really tough situation.’
Danny Healy-Rae also said that those who support a vegetarian lifestyle ‘never worked hard’. ‘It’s easy to know that fellows who are talking about stopping people eating meat never worked hard,’ he said.
‘Because if you’re a hard worker and do a hard day’s work there’s nothing [better] to revive you again than a piece of good meat, whether it is bacon and cabbage, or whether it is beef or mutton stew.’
His brother Michael said the Taoiseach’s comments had caused anger among farmers, and, he reminded Mr Varadkar, ‘He is the Taoiseach for all of the country not just for Dublin city.’
Mr McConalogue said the Taoiseach had doubled down by stating that red meat contributes to higher rates of cancer. ‘He has completely ignored the fact that Ireland has one of the most carbon-efficient beef production systems in the world.’
Comment – Page 14 senan.molony@dailymail.ie
‘My comment was not flippant’