The proposed new rural party would have “a fair task indeed to bring the independents together,” the Agriculture Minister has told Pat Kenny.

That’s according to Fianna Fáil Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue.

Mr McConalogue was speaking after Roscommon-Galway TD Michael Fitzmaurice raised the possibility of establishing a party to represent rural Ireland – and stand up to the Green Party.

Speaking to The Pat Kenny Show, Minister McConalogue said the idea was not to be taken seriously.

“I think we will see plenty more talk on this path but I don’t expect we will see actually a coherent grouping,” he said.

“By their nature, there’s lots and lots of incoherence [between Independents] when it comes to agriculture issues – massive incoherence.

“I don’t see it as feasible or doable. I don’t see any particular policies being put forward that would underpin such a political party.

“I don’t think we’ll see much action and I certainly don’t think we’ll see any delivery because you have to be in government to deliver.”

‘Agriculture policy’

Minister McConalogue said the Government has been “delivering in a very serious way for farmers.”

“I just delivered this year on the new Common Agricultural Policy … I’ve just delivered a 50% increase in the funding for farm schemes starting this year,” he said.

“You always have to outline what your record is, because every single day you have plenty of people trying to undermine your record and misrepresent it.

“Implementation can take time but, in terms of the promises we’ve been making, we have been delivering on them.”

‘Anti-Green’

Mr McConalogue rejected the idea that the “Green tail” of the Government should be replaced by a rural party.

“The issue of sustainability and reducing our emissions isn’t specific to one party, that’s something we all embrace,” he said.

“There’s no coherence there and it’s against the backdrop of a Government that’s seriously doing everything across all the fronts in relation to agriculture.

“We’re delivering, really importantly, in relation to the sustainability agenda.”

‘Dublin-centric Government’

Minister McConalogue said claims the Government is too ‘Dublin-centric' are nothing more than a catchphrase.

“There’s no more substance to it than that,” he said.

“If you ask any further questions, the policy platform falls apart.

“We’ll hear plenty of noise on this for the next couple of years because many independents realise that to make a change, you need to be in Government.

“[Rural issues] are all issues that we are working massively hard on in government and delivering on in government.

“We are seeing rural populations increase … and with a significant investment that the government are putting in … we want further enable people to be able to live and work, not just in agriculture but in various sectors of the economy in rural Ireland.”

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