Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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268. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which he and his Department continue to monitor production costs in the poultry sector, with particular reference to the need to ensure a stable cost base; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18719/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As in other meat sectors, global trade conditions will be crucial in determining the outlook for the Irish poultry sector over the medium to longer term.

Poultry meat has seen an increase in demand in recent years and the price has remained constant in 2023, averaging around €249.26 /100 Kgs in 2023, 3.93% higher than the average price achieved in 2022. This trend has continued into 2024, where the average price from Jan to March 2024 is €262.20/100 Kgs, some 3.75% higher than the price achieved for the same 3-month period in 2023 (€252.73/100 Kgs).

Poultry Production is also performing well, with total slaughterings in 2023 amounting to over 112m birds, exceeding 2022 Production by 4%. The upward trend in slaughtering appears to be continuing in 2024 as by week 15 of 2024 (Week ending 14^th April), there were just over 32.5 million birds slaughtered which is approximately 3.81% greater than the amount slaughtered in the corresponding 15-Week period in 2023.

I am aware of the pressures being faced by many in the agri-food sector due to the increase in input costs, exacerbated by the impact of the illegal war in Ukraine. My Department continues to monitor the markets and any impacts on the agri-food sector. Poultry is normally reared under contract to processors, for a pre-agreed price, and, therefore, poultry producers are not typically subject to the same price fluctuations as other farmers.

I am also very aware of the contribution of the poultry production sector to Irish agri-food as a whole, supporting significant levels of direct employment as well as their role in supporting rural economies and the wider national economy and I firmly believe that the poultry production sector in Ireland remains viable.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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269. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which his Department continues to monitor and safeguard the interest of the agrifood sector given the sharp increase in price of inputs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18720/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department monitors information on farms and the wider agri-food sector, in collaboration with Teagasc and the Central Statistics Office (CSO), on an ongoing basis. This includes monitoring agricultural input and output prices.

The CSO publish monthly Agricultural Output and Input Price Indices. These indices monitor trends in prices paid to farmers for their produce and prices paid by farmers for purchases of goods and services. While the input price index remained elevated throughout 2022, it has now moderated. In addition, the output price index has trended upwards in recent months. In February 2024, the agricultural output price index stood at 40.4% above its 2015 level, while the input price index is 33.6% above.

Our farms and the wider agri-food sector have demonstrated their adaptability and resilience in the face of significant challenges in recent years, continuing to deliver safe and nutritious food for Irish and international markets. Employment in the agri-food sector stood at 173,400 in 2023, an increase of 3.4% on 2022 according to the CSO Labour Force Survey. Meanwhile, agri-food exports were similarly resilient according to trade data, having reached a record €19 billion in 2022 and falling by only 3.5% to €18.3 billion in 2023, despite very challenging market conditions.

The Government and I am acutely aware of the difficulties facing family farms and have already put supports in place to ensure their ongoing viability and remain ready to do so again. I will continue to support our family farms, including through implementation of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan which will deliver some €10 billion to Irish farm families in the period to 2027. I look forward to continuing to work with all the agri-food stakeholders in delivering its Food Vision 2030 ambitions.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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270. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the extent to which efforts continue to maximise the reduction of carbon emissions in the agrifood sector without reducing production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18721/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has several policies and strategies in place to ensure agriculture plays its role in meeting the national climate targets by 2030 and 2050, while continuing to sustainably produce food and feed. Indeed, the Food Vision 2030 Strategy sets out a pathway for Ireland to become a world leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade.

While the emissions targets for agriculture are particularly challenging, the Climate Action Plan includes a range of measures to reduce emissions. These measures are grouped under three themes: inputs and additives, husbandry practices, and diversification. Each of these measures will be supported by a range of actions, setting out a viable pathway towards reaching our targets.

In practical terms, some of the types of actions that the sector is undertaking include reducing chemical Nitrogen usage and changing fertiliser type, and providing voluntary diversification options for farmers that improve the environmental dividend from our farmed land.

My Department and its agencies are also investing in research across of range of climate change mitigation headings. There is significant potential for technologies such as methane reducing feed additives to contribute to abatement in the livestock sector. Furthermore, the implementation of a low methane emitting breeding programme has significant potential to harness the genetic variation for methane emissions that exists within the national herd. In turn, this will bring about permanent and cumulative reductions in the methane output of future generations of livestock. The results of the research also highlight the potential to breed more environmentally sustainable animals, without having a negative impact on food production.

Our CAP Strategic Plan will support farmers to transition to more sustainable practices while also supporting family farm incomes, with a budget of €9.8bn. In addition, I have provided €1.5bn for the new agri-environment scheme ACRES, a five-fold increase in funding for Organic Farming to €256m in order to increase the area to 10% of utilised agricultural area and €260m to improve the carbon efficiency of the suckler herd through genetic improvement.

Some livestock farmers will choose to take up the diversification options that are provided as part of our climate transformation such as Organics, Forestry, Tillage and the provision of feedstock for Anaerobic Digestion as we increase the production of renewables. However, given the efficiency gains that continue to be made at farm level, I remain confident that we will continue to reduce emissions in the agri-food sector without reducing our production.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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271. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the efforts ongoing by his Department to address issues relating to farmer mental health and well-being; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18722/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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This Government has prioritised farm safety, health and wellbeing. Dedicated funding of €2.5m was allocated in Budget 2024 for a range of initiatives including initiatives to support increased awareness of the importance of mental health among farmers.

My Department, along with the HSE and the Department of Health, is co-funding a farmers physical and mental health awareness programme called ‘On Feirm Ground 2’. This expanded programme is providing training for agricultural advisors, vets, Department staff and other agri-professionals and service providers, to signpost farmers to support in relation to health and wellbeing.

Last year, my Department funded eight farm safety European Innovation Partnerships (EIP’s) projects, of which four focused on mental health in the farming community.

My Department, with the support of The Department of Health and the Health Service Executive, hosted the 'Cultivating Mental Wellbeing in Rural Ireland' conference in November 2024. The conference had a strong focus on supporting farmers to cultivate positive action around mental wellbeing.

DAFM is funding research into farmer mental health including the DCU led FarmHealth Research Project examining farmers mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour and the UCD-led “Farming Minds: Developing evidence-based interventions to enhance farmer mental health”. This research will inform future policy and supports in the area of farmer health and wellbeing.

The Department distributed the HSA’s Farm Safety Partnership booklet on “Farmers’ Health and Wellbeing - A Guide to Staying Healthy While Farming” in BISS 2023 packs to all farmers. The booklet includes a section on coping with stress and minding your mental health.

Farm safety, health and wellbeing is a priority for me and my colleague, Minister of State Martin Heydon T.D. The dedicated funding allows the continuation of existing initiatives and the development of new initiatives to build on my Department’s efforts to improve farm safety, health and wellbeing.