'Dublin bubble' lecture farmers about climate change, Simon Harris tells The 2 Johnnies

Taoiseach Simon Harris made a surprise appearance on The 2 Johnnies podcast this week, during which the issue of farmers and climate change was discussed.

Described in a post online as "the interview the nation didn’t know it needed", The 2 Johnnies shared the news of the Taoiseach's guest appearance today, adding "love him or loathe him, you won’t want to miss it".

Speaking on the podcast, Harris discussed a range of topics, from his personal life, asylum seekers, rising emigration levels among young Irish people and housing.

The Taoiseach was also asked if he had ever played GAA, saying that he had "never been great with a hurl" and that his early attempt at soccer at the age of nine had helped him realise "sport wasn't going to make a living for me".

Moving on to farming, Johnny B raised his concerns that "a lot of farmers were listening" and that the "red tape was catching them", and that farmers were telling them that they felt they were asked to "carry more of a burden than other sectors" in relation to climate change.

Harris replied, saying: "I think there's this really weird, stupid thing that goes on, that people in the 'Dublin bubble' lecture farmers about climate change and not realising that it's actually the job of the Government to do more than one thing at a time."

"There is a climate emergency, no doubt about it, it wasn't all caused by the farmers by the way, farmers understand it, farmers are willing to play their part, but also we need the farms to continue. We need people to continue to produce food.

He added: "I don't think politicians would speak to any other part of the Irish economy the way they speak to farmers.

"What I've said to farmers, we've got to stop the lecturing, stop the demonising of farmers, and actually work in partnership." 

Harris clarified that he had no interest in reducing the national herd, and concluded his answer by adding that he "intends to respect" farmers.

News of the Taoiseach's guest appearance on the podcast received mixed reactions online, with one commenter adding that they were "very disappointed to see this lads".

Others asked about the lack of questioning on the Occupied Territories Bill, while another added that "if you're going to go political when’s the counter interview with his opposition".

Others described the interview as "class", with one fan saying: "fair play lads, regardless of political opinions you managed to get the leader of the country to sit down for a podcast with ye, something ye probably never imagined in the early days of the pod".

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