Taoiseach hits back at Social Democrats leader Holly Cairn's stance on derogation

"What's happened in our agriculture sector has massively benefited, for example, fertiliser companies. It's massively advantaged to people who are in bigger dairy, and then the big companies that export all of that. Who is disadvantaged, predominantly the small farmer, these farms become completely unviable," she told the Irish Examiner.

Responding, Simon Harris said he will continue to defend the special derogation for farmers if re-elected, and would also work to improve water quality, which the EU has said must be addressed.

"Holly Cairns, in my view, is completely, categorically and utterly wrong in relation to this issue. She's perfectly entitled to have that policy position, I just think she's fundamentally wrong", he said

"To throw in the towel on the Irish farming industry, including, by the way, small farmers, including in her own constituency, is something that I think farmers will have very strong view on.

Farmers need to be treated with a little bit of respect. There are some people in politics who speak to farmers in a way they would speak to no other part of the Irish economy. Farmers know they need to change in terms of climate, absolutely, they know a lot more about it than many people that talk in the Dáil about these issues. But they need to be supported to change.

This was echoed by Fianna Fáil's Christopher O’Sullivan, who described the Social Democrats’ stance on the derogation as a "threat to the dairy industry".

He added: “Dairy farmers are doing everything possible to comply with nature’s derogation and improve water quality. They are partaking in a suite of measures to ensure that this happens.”

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach turned down calls from the Tánaiste for an election ceasefire.

Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have been engaged in tit-for-tat exchanges hitting out at the various policy proposals that have been announced in recent days.

Responding to Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin, who issued a call to end the clashes, Simon Harris said: "I don't like the language that's been used around ceasefire and the likes, I mean there's a political election going on here in Ireland.

We're having a debate around ideas and policies. I hope we're having a respectful debate. We launched a plan for small businesses, I don't think we were out of the room before there were people in Fianna Fáil doing off the record briefings in relation to that. 

Mr Harris added: "I think, after he said that, he then went on to attack Fine Gael, so giving out about being attacked whilst then attacking is an interesting way of doing things. Look, we're having an election, and in an election, it's about policies. It's about debating ideas. It should never be personal. I work very well with the leader of Fianna Fáil. I work very well with the leader of the Green Party."

Mr Harris also told reporters that he does not know why a former Fine Gael councillor who is now running as an Independent in Mayo was expelled from the party.

Patsy O’Brien was expelled from Fine Gael in October 2020 after internal Fine Gael disciplinary investigation.

Mr Harris said: “I believe there was a disciplinary issue in Mayo, I’m not across the details of it and that person was expelled from the party. It predates my time as leader.”