A TD for Dublin South-West has been urged to “substantiate or withdraw and apologise” for comments on social media where he claimed that a Bord Bia tweet about Irish dairy was “public money paying for climate disinformation”.
The People Before Profit TD, Paul Murphy, posted the comments in relation to a tweet by Bord Bia on World Milk Day which stated that “Ireland is different and on #WorldMilk Day, we celebrate it”.
The TD took objection to the post and claimed it was “climate disinformation”.
But Barryroe farmer, Harold Kingston, who is also the Munster regional chair of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), told Agriland that the social media post by The People Before Profit TD has made him “see red”.
He wants Deputy Murphy to “clarify” exactly what he means by the term “climate disinformation”.
Kingston said: “Paul Murphy is an elected representative and with that position comes responsibility. He is of course entitled to his opinion, but what is he basing that opinion on?
“He needs to clarify why he feels the Bord Bia post is climate disinformation because I am a farmer, like many farmers, who believes in and is committed to sustainability.
“As a politician, he has a responsibility to be accurate; he has a duty to the electorate and I believe that his comment is misinformation.”
Kingston queried whether Murphy had ever visited a dairy farm to see for himself how dairy is produced as referenced in the Bord Bia social media post.
“If he wants to do that, it can be easily arranged but in the meantime I do believe that Paul Murphy should substantiate, or else withdraw and apologise for his comment,” he said.
He said the TD’s comments do not take account of how farmers are producing food sustainably day in, day out, throughout the country.
The People Before Profit TD did not respond when contacted by Agriland about his social media post.
Bord Bia has also not commented on the reaction to its social media post.