Ryanair chief executive officer (CEO) Michael O'Leary has called for Ireland to continue producing beef and for the national herd to increase, and slammed 'failed green policies' on food production.

Speaking at the award ceremony of the Irish Certified Angus Schools Competition in Croke Park today (Friday, March 7), O'Leary - who also runs the Gigginstown House Farm - criticised the "negativity" towards farming in conversations on climate change.

He said: "There's far too much negativity, particularly towards farming about methane and all the rest of that nonsense. We should expand the herd in this country.

"We are one of the best countries in the world at producing grass-fed beef, we should stop apologising for it and we certainly shouldn't be cutting the national herd," he said, expressing concern at the drop in cattle numbers in the national herd in recent years.

"We need to keep producing good value food and we can't have these failed green policies that...we all eat grains and peas for the next 500 years," O'Leary said.

He added: "Make more cattle and make more beef, and we will have a much healthier population."

The Ryanair chief did acknowledge the need to decarbonise the economy. However, he expressed misgivings on solar energy infrastructure on farms.

"We went ahead and put up the solar panels on the sheds. It generates about €80,000 in reducing my ESB bills...but it cost me about €250,000 to put it up on the sheds. It cost me almost the same price as the shed. It's not for the faint-hearted.

Addressing young farmers in attendance at the ceremony today, O'Leary said: "I would always interview, and give somebody an interview, who grew up on a farm, who worked on a farm because you know how to work and you know how to take responsibility.

"It creates a work ethic… It does teach you an ability to work... Growing up on a farm is a great training for life," he said.