The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) president Francie Gorman has wished Leo Varadkar well, and said that during his time as Taoiseach, he kept agricultural concerns “front and centre”.
This comes as Varadkar said today (Wednesday, March 20) that he is stepping down as Taoiseach and leader of Fine Gael for “personal and political” reasons.
The IFA president said the biggest issue that Varadkar faced when he became Taoiseach in 2017 was the outcome of the Brexit vote a year earlier.
“That vote had huge ramifications for our agri-food sector and our trading relationship with Great Britain.
“Leo Varadkar understood that and kept our concerns front and centre in the prolonged talks that culminated in the trade agreement in 2020,” Gorman said.
Gorman said he had found Varadkar to be “open and accessible” to discussions about what was needed to support farmers.
“Leo Varadkar attended our AGM in January in the Irish Farm Centre and was willing to engage with our delegates,” Gorman said.
At the AGM, Varadkar said he was keen to stress that farmers are to be “part of the solution” towards tackling climate change.
At the time, the former Taoiseach said: “While it might not always seem this way to you, I can assure you that this Government will continue to speak up for you, in the Dáil, in the media and in Europe.”
Varadkar said he had taken the decision to step away from the office of Taoiseach and as leader of his party after “careful consideration and some soul-searching”.
Gorman said that whatever the former Taoiseach does next he wishes him well and thanked him for his contribution.
“We had a lengthy meeting with him in recent weeks and we felt we were genuinely making progress on some issues,” Gorman said.
It is expected that a new leader will be elected in advance of the Ard Fheis on Saturday, April 6.