The reasons McDowell is wrong about farm subsidies

Questions have been raised about the justification for subsidising farmers, including by economist Moore McDowell, on RTÉ’s Prime Time current affairs TV show, hosted by Miriam O’Callaghan, on Tuesday night.

McDowell replied ‘so what?’ when the IFA said that without subsidies three quarters of Irish farmers would go out of business.

The reasons it is necessary for Ireland and Europe to subsidise farmers are as follows: