Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Select Committee on Agriculture and Food
Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised)
2:00 am
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Before we begin, members have the option of being physically present in the committee room or may join the meeting via Microsoft Teams from their Leinster House office. Members may not participate in the meeting from outside the parliamentary precincts. However, it is important to note that with regard to participation in division, for voting committee members must be physically present in the committee room. I ask anyone joining on Teams to please mute their microphones. There is nobody on Teams.
Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not, where possible, criticise or make any charges against a person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.
The meeting is being convened to consider the Further Revised Estimates for Public Services 2025, Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine, which was referred to the committee by the Dáil on 17 June 2025. I welcome the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Heydon, to the committee. I note that he is accompanied by Mr. Gordon Conroy, assistant secretary, finance and State bodies; Ms Siobhán Dowling, principal officer, finance and central procurement development division; and Ms Karen Hanlon, assistant principal, finance division. You are all very welcome here today. Cuirim fáilte romhaibh.
Programme D, the seafood sector of Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine, comes within the remit of the Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. Arising from the change of remit, members are asked not to raise questions on programme D with the Minister. The Minister is going to appear before the Select Committee on Fisheries and Maritime Affairs on programme D at a later date.
The Minister may call on his officials to speak briefly or clarify during the meeting where specific or technical points are raised, and the officials can clarify issues for the committee. Any follow-up questions should be put to the Minister because he is the accountable person. The Minister's opening statement was circulated, and I invite him to give a brief synopsis before moving on to a question-and-answer session with members.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I welcome this opportunity to present to the committee the Further Revised Estimates for 2025 for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Before I commence, I would like to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of farmers, fishers and foresters to the rural and coastal communities across Ireland and how they contribute to the agrifood industry and the Irish economy as a whole.
The agrifood sector remains Ireland's most important indigenous industry, employing over 169,000 people and supporting €19 billion worth of exports. The sector is responsible for the stewardship of 4.5 million ha of agricultural land and over 800,000 ha of forestry. It consists of 133,000 farms, 2,000 fishing vessels and aquaculture sites, and some 2,000 food production and beverage enterprises. It employs 169,000 people, representing 6.4% of the total workforce but a far greater proportion of that is in rural and coastal areas.
In an increasingly globalised world, the Irish agrifood sector is a world leader. All of this is underpinned and made possible by the work of those producing the raw material. As Minister, it is my priority to ensure that the substantial commitments outlined in the programme for Government are achieved over the lifetime of this Government and I look forward to engaging with committee members in the years ahead.
The Further Revised Estimates, which the committee considers today, provides more detail on last October’s budget. This budget was directed at supporting farm incomes and ensuring the continued development of the agrifood industry. It builds on the significant supports put in place over the lifetime of the previous Government and will ensure the progress made in recent years continues into 2025.
For 2025, the total Exchequer contribution to the Vote of my Department amounts to €2.14 billion. This comprises €1.8 billion in current expenditure and €336.6 million in capital expenditure. When appropriations-in-aid are considered, the 2025 net Vote is estimated at €1.73 billion. The 2025 agriculture Vote provides my Department with the resources both to deal with the many challenges the sector faces and equally to deliver on the opportunities that exist across the agriculture, fisheries, food development, marine and forestry sectors.
Budget 2025 was framed in a manner to maintain and indeed build on all the crucial farmer supports. This is evident in the increases to the key supports in the dairy, beef, tillage, sheep, organic and horticulture sectors. The voted allocation also provides higher levels of funding in several key areas including on TB and ACRES. It makes provisions for the introduction of a new knowledge transfer programme included under the €9.8 billion CAP strategic plan and the commencement of the long-established young farmer scheme.
The agriculture Vote is subdivided into four expenditure programmes corresponding to the four key strategic objectives set out in the current statement of strategy. I will now speak about each of these four programmes in turn.
On programme A, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare, the total allocation for 2025 is €443.7 million. Irish farmers, fishermen and agrifood companies produce world-class food and make products to the highest international standards of food safety and quality. Our food safety and traceability systems continue to be recognised as among the very best in the world. Regarding programme expenditure, I am continuing to fund vital services to ensure those standards are maintained, including the meat inspection service and the various supports provided by the Department’s testing laboratories.
The level of bovine TB in Ireland increased in 2024. I acknowledge the joint committee discussed that issue today with officials from my Department. As of 1 June this year, 6,448 herds suffered a TB breakdown in the previous 12 months and the herd incidence is at 6.38%. TB is having a significant impact on farmers and their families, both financially and emotionally. As members are aware, I held a TB forum, or a summit effectively, on 8 May, and held a further meeting with farm bodies and key stakeholders on 22 May to discuss a reset of the TB programme and agree necessary measures to tackle the current disease situation based on veterinary and scientific advice. It is clear from my engagement with farmers and stakeholders that there is an appetite for change within the TB programme.
The programme for Government commits to continuing to provide support for both the deer management strategy group action plan and the wildlife control programme. It also commits to reviewing and updating the national TB 2030 eradication strategy by working in collaboration with farmers and industry. Continuing to drive down TB levels during 2025 and beyond will require the continued support of stakeholders for additional disease-reducing measures. It is critical that, through working in partnership and joint ownership, all stakeholders take the necessary actions to reduce disease transmission, protect herds from new infections and clear TB from restricted herds, and I am happy to engage further on this later as necessary.
Programme A also provides just under €50 million to cover both TVI and fallen animals expenditure. It also cover payments to the OPW for the development of Rosslare Europort, which is a critical project to develop the necessary permanent infrastructure required due to Brexit. Some €14.6 million has been allocated to fund this Department’s apportionment of the 2025 development costs.
On programme B, farm sector supports and controls, a total of just over €1.088 billion is available to programme B in 2025, and is paid almost exclusively to farmers. This is in addition to some €1.2 billion funding from the EU in respect of the various direct payment schemes. This support is vital to farmers who deliver public goods and environmental benefits. As well as the inherent environmental benefits involved, this investment enhances our sustainability credentials, which are invaluable in serving increasingly demanding and knowledgeable customers at home and around the world.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. I will open it to the floor.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Members have the rest of the opening statement. They can take it as read or they can read on.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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We have. It has been circulated. We will open it up to the floor for five minutes we have-----
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Are we doing it in sections, or what are we doing?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I will leave it in the committee's hands. Whatever members like.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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If the Deputy has particular issues he wants to raise-----
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It is up to the committee but we used to do it in sections before.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I will leave it the floor, where there is five minutes per member to ask on various sections.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Okay.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I will start with Deputy Kenny, who raised his hand first.
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for his opening statement. I will probably chop and change a little bit between the sections but there are a couple of issues there. As the Minister mentioned, we had his officials in from the Department and from the TB forum in regard to TB.
It is a fairly major section of this. The Minister mentioned this and how he is prepared to discuss it in more detail. One of the things that came from that was that, basically, the proposals coming from the forum are to do more intensive testing to try to focus in on where the issues are, particularly the issues in regard to wildlife and so on. The problem we have identified to some extent is that doing more of the same may not work. We need reassurance, and certainly farmers need reassurance, that we will have a TB eradication programme that will deliver for farmers and for the sector.
An issue raised by myself and others here, including Senator Daly, is in regard to vaccination of the herd and the issues that has with regard to the market and marketing our produce. Is part of the investment here to examine the possibility of doing that and how that could work out? While we understand there are many markets out there that find it difficult to accept product from animals that have been vaccinated, at the same time, all of us humans are vaccinated everywhere in the world, and there has to be a certain level of coming to the conclusion that we need to look at this. With the model of farming we have in Ireland, where we have free-roaming animals out in the open all the time, grass-fed and intermingling with wildlife, it will be very difficult to fully eradicate TB. That is a conclusion that an awful lot of people, including an awful lot of farmers, are coming to.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Kenny for raising those points. He spent a good part of the afternoon on the area of TB. It is taking up much of my time now as well. It is understandably a huge cause of concern for farmers. Let us be honest. We are seeing incidence now that we have not seen before. I do not remember any of my neighbours having 40 or 50 reactors in one herd when I was growing up at home, but that is a story we are hearing all too commonly now. It is a challenge for us. It cannot be business as usual. We have to change our approach.
The Deputy talked about suggestions from the forum. The forum reached its point. When I came into this role, I asked it to make submissions. I liaised back and forth with it and then in March, the chairman of the forum wrote to me stating he not feel he could bring it any further. At that point, I called a summit of all key stakeholders. As I said, we have had two very detailed days where I, with my officials, put forward the range of different measures we need in place that will address all three elements of transmission – the role of wildlife, the role of cattle-to-cattle transmission and the role of residual. If we do not cover all three areas, we will leave a gap for this disease to continue to seed out.
In addressing that, more testing is a key part. Increased staffing and investment in the area of wildlife is a key part of that. I am putting together a set of proposals that will be very ambitious to support our farmers, with the ultimate goal of making sure that the 94% of farmers that do not have it do not get it, and that the 6% of farmers that do have it have a roadmap and a clear light at the end of the tunnel as to how to get out of this.
In the short term, if the final set of proposals that I put forward and implement is successful, it will actually lead to an increase in reactors in the next year or two, and we need that to happen. That is a positive because currently there is skin testing and blood testing. Skin testing has only 80% efficacy. You layer in blood testing at a higher level. Blood testing is not perfect either because it has a higher positive incidence. However, you layer it in and you get over 90%. You then get into a space of having a very good statistical chance of leaving less of this behind. In that space, it means there will be a significant increase in the number of reactors but not necessarily an increase in the number of herds affected. We need to find out where it is in herds at present. That will be success. However, from a budgetary perspective and in the context of this conversation here, that will lead to front-loading of costs. The TB programme is a substantial financial burden on the Exchequer and farmers. It hurts everybody. There are many more things I could do with €100 million to support beef farmers than having to put it into this and to compensation. The overall TB programme reached €100.616 million. That is a massive level of expenditure, and I will need more money to implement the measures that I want to do. That is where I am being ambitious and working with key stakeholders to try to get consensus around a solution that, ultimately, can change the dial and support farmers in this situation.
Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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Is the model of farming we have in Ireland going to make it more difficult? Countries where it has been successful have a different model, and that is where I think we have to acknowledge-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I will finish on this point. We do have a different model, but this is not impossible. For so long, farmers have felt it is impossible. It is not. What we have to do now is a range of interventions and measures that will stop the increase that has been happing in recent times, stabilise it and then within a two- or three-year period we could see a very significant reduction in the numbers of incidences. If we get it back down to 2% or 3%, we can talk about eradication with real credibility, and maybe other sets of measures. We have to stop the increase right now because it is heading in a direction that is seeding out and it is not good. It is small in overall terms but the trajectory of growth is going in the wrong direction, and we have to stop that now.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for coming in. I will ask quick-fire questions. Mr. Conroy will probably handle many of these. TB testing will be going up. Where will the money come from? What is going to suffer?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I do not have the money at present to do everything I would like to do in respect of TB. As to what was allocated in last year's budget for doing this, just short of €74 million was allocated. Ultimately, I am putting together a strong business case that-----
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Will the Minister get that money from the Department of public expenditure and reform or will it be taken out of the Department?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am liaising with colleagues across Government. I am making a strong business case that investment of extra finances now will save us and farmers money in the long run and will protect a very important industry. If I have to find it from my own budget, it will be a very significant amount to have to find. Either way, I cannot afford not to act.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Regarding the SBCI, am I right saying that loans for farmers will be down 25%?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No. What subhead is this under?
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I wrote them all down. I think it was near the end.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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That is under programme C – policy and strategy.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Will the Minister explain that to me?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Regarding the 3.8% reduction, that difference in main is due to reduction in the research and development sector. The SBCI growth and stability loan scheme has been very popular and has been supported by farmers. The banking institutions have made that clear. It is part of the NDP and it is part of my discussions with the Minister for public expenditure under the current revision of the NDP.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Are the figures down on it?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No. In subhead C on policy and strategy, there is a 3.8% difference between the 2024 Supplementary Estimate and 2025. That is mainly due to a reduction in the research and development sector funding. We have seen the growth and stability loan scheme be very popular and fully drawn down by some of the lending institutions. I hope to be able to put more money into that if I get more in the revised NDP.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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What am I looking at in C.10 on page 4 where it says SBCI loan scheme, -25%? What is that?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Under C10, it is down 25% from 2024 to 2025. That is where my ask is, as part of the NDP review, for more money to top it up.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Is there less money? Is it down 25%, "Yes" or "No"?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It is fully subscribed through the institutions. It is down over the period of the whole scheme, so I want to get more money to top it up.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It is down 25%.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The claim amounts to the received and the date of consideration.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Okay. It is down 25%. That is grand. I am just trying to get through it.
Can the Minister explain the carbon tax being 22.1% down? It is B13 on page 3.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Of the €143 million carbon tax funding provided to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2025, €140 million was used to fund ACRES and €3 million was allocated for the green agricultural pilots and anaerobic digestion scheme. The Department has been allocated €143 million out of carbon tax for this year and, as I said, €3 million of that goes to the anaerobic digestion-----
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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So the Department only gets a fraction of the overall carbon tax.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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A total sum of €143 million is a-----
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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Out of about €700 million or €800 million.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It is a significant portion. I think it is around 20%, is it?
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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It was €623 million last year before the rise.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It actually represents the €143 million in 2025 of the €260 million in the ACRES allocation. That is a €30 million increase.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I refer to agri schemes. The Department was not able to give out the money in 2023 and 2024. Did that money have to be given back to the Exchequer?
There is extra money this year because more people are getting paid who were owed it. What is the story with that? I ask the Minister to explain the agri-environmental scheme and the 30.6%.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Where we are at is the continuation of ACRES. Additional funding is required. It should be noted that in 2024, the payment total is inflated as it includes significant carryover from 2023, as the Deputy has outlined.
Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I am asking if, at the end of the year, the Department has to give it back. Why would the Minister look for more money? The Department should be able to carry it over. Is that right?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I will ask Mr. Conroy to speak on last year's funding.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I will be quick and snappy and will keep it as simple as I can. I am only after seeing the Estimates. I know programme A, regarding TB, came up earlier and we had a lengthy discussion about it, so I will not harp on about it. There were guesstimate figures of potentially €170 million being required for this by the Department in two years to help to eradicate TB, in the case of no action and us just sitting back and not doing anything. How soon will we see a reduction in TB?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The truth is that if I am successful in a new approach and a new range of measures, we will actually see an increase in reactors in the short term over the first two years, but we need to do that because at present our current testing model and approach to TB eradication is leaving some of the disease behind, and it is identified later in the factories or beyond.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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So to get it sorted, at some stage, we will get to €170 million or €200 million.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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To be successful, we need to front-load some of that pain. We need to layer in a range of different measures, including increased blood testing of the highest risk cohorts which stay on the farm longer, which are generally females over 18 months. That testing will front-load some of that pain. It will identify more reactors and will require more compensation for the farmers affected.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It could be €200 million.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It will not see a significant increase in herds affected, which is really important, but it will require more money in the short term.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We put €14-odd million into the development of Rosslare Europort. Does any other Department fund the development of Rosslare Europort or is it just us in agriculture?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Yes. We are only a part funder of that.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Do we fund Belview Port in Kilkenny too?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Departments of justice, Transport and Health do, too.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I know it was not specifically mentioned but Belview is close to my own heart. Do we fund Belview Port in south Kilkenny at all?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No. That would be different from Rosslare.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I know there have been 55,000 or so applicants to ACRES and €260 million paid out. I know the intention was that the majority of ACRES payments would be paid out by the end of June. How are we going with that?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Obviously I set an ambitious target here. We changed the structures inside it and I gave extra supports to my officials in Wexford to try to get through this and get farmers paid as quickly as possible. When I came into this job on 23 January, we had 14,500 farmers unpaid historically. That was not acceptable to me. With 1,700 of them cleared last week, we now have it down to 2,961 outstanding from 2024 and of them, 790 are from 2023. I expect to make considerable progress both this week and next week again to continue to drive down those numbers. I am keeping the foot to the floor as best I can to keep as much pressure on to get every farmer sorted as quickly as possible. My intention is still to aim for the end of June and to try to keep that pressure on as much as possible. Not every single case can be resolved-----
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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They can get complex. I get it.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Some are outside of our control. With issues such as title deed, the challenge is not on our side. I am not taking my foot off the gas and we have made significant progress in recent weeks. I understand that if you are one of those 2,961, even though it is a much-reduced figure from 14,500 when I came into this role, it is still cold comfort because you have not been sorted. We are doing everything we can to fix it.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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I acknowledge the progress the Minister has made and the intensity he has put into that programme to get as many payments as possible out. It is easy to be critical but it is important to note that there has been a huge shift on that. I am conscious of time so I will be quick. Is there much uptake of the nutrient importation storage scheme? Is that under TAMS? Yes. The NISS has an investment ceiling of €90,000 which allows farmers to invest in nutrient storage.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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TAMS in general has been popular among farmers. We are seeing significant drawdowns. I have to manage that budget to the end of 2027. Tranches 6, 7 and 8 have a 100% approval rate for valid applications. The enhanced grant aid for nutrient storage investments was opened to applications in January. There is 60% grant aid, up from the current 40%. We do not have a figure for that, do we?
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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It is okay. The Minister can come back to me on that. I have two quick questions to finish up with. My first relates to the forgotten farmers scheme, the €5 million and how that is progressing. My final question is about the book of Estimates. Under subhead B7, there is a knowledge transfer programme, which was estimated for 2025 and has been revised to 4,000. It is a huge increase. Will the Minister clarify that?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Regarding the knowledge transfer, the scheme was only coming on board in 2024, so it commenced in 2025, with a first round of payments issuing to farmers in March, with payments to adviser participants issuing shortly. The scheduling affected the flow of the money. The other question was about forgotten farmers.
Peter Cleere (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Yes, just a quick update.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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This has been a long-standing commitment where I want to put all the legacy issues to bed. Since the Department was first approached with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, who are defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015 and established their holdings prior to 2008, I opened a public consultation process for people to put themselves forward. That process has concluded and we are reviewing the results. I have next steps and an allocation in my budget this year of €5 million to address the number of people who are impacted and to draw a line under this issue once and for all. I am not sure yet whether that €5 million will be enough to get everyone resolved this year. If it is more, I will have to try to find more money in next year's budget and to do it over two years.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I thank the Minister and his officials. To follow on from the question about the forgotten farmers, will the survey that was conducted last month be published? Will the forgotten farmers cohort be paid in 2025? What is the expected payout date?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I said clearly that I have €5 million budgeted for this year. We do not know how many farmers come under this. They have to put themselves forward first. Once they do, we will examine them on a case-by-case basis and see if they qualify. Of course I will publish the figures of people who qualify in this regard. The process I am going through now is to see if there is enough in the allocation that was made in last year's budget for me to be able to address everyone and draw a line under it. If extra money needs to be found, that may have to go into next year. I am determined to try to draw a line under this issue once and for all.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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Did the survey quantify how many farmers are in the category?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No. It was an opportunity for farmers to put themselves forward to see if they qualify. That is the first step that we had to take. We will go through those cases and that will give us a good sense of what we can do this year.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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Okay, so there are more beyond the survey. Does the Minister expect payments to-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Not necessarily, but we have to examine those who put themselves forward first.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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Will payments commence this year?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I have €5 million in my budget this year so I will absolutely spend that.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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How many put themselves forward for the survey?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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We are still going through the final details of those responses and will have detail for the Deputy very soon.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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Regarding Storm Éowyn and the difficulties that farmers faced due to shed damage, particularly in Mayo, Roscommon and right across the western seaboard, has the Minister any provision in TAMS, which will be opened in the autumn, or indeed in next year's budget, to provide supports for those farmers?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I set up a special tranche of TAMS in response to Storm Éowyn. I announced last week that there was 100% approval for all valid applications received under that. Emergency tranche 7 covered Storm Éowyn. It closed for applications on 28 March. A total of 1,945 applications were submitted in respect of the agreed emergency investments to cover back-up generators; sheep, bovine and equine fencing; and wood chippers and mulchers. Approval letters have begun issuing for these applications to ensure that farms are more resilient in advance of future weather events. I have announced plans to introduce grant aid under TAMS for replacement of roofs, which has not been in place in the past. The application process for this specific investment will be available later this year, I hope, when systems are developed. That work is ongoing. In the meantime, farmers are urged to carry out a structural assessment of their farm buildings.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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What the Minister said at the end is what I am referring to, about sheds and structural damage, not generators.
What can we say to farmers today in that regard? When will that open? What are the plans?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I could not fund things retrospectively through the TAMS to cover roofs being blown off sheds. Historically, a TAMS grant would only cover a new shed or structure. A number of cases were brought to me. Deputy Fitzmaurice and others gave me examples of sheds whose roofs had been blown off and just needed new power lines, rafters and roofing, but the rest of the structure was sound. I have instructed my officials to allow for that in future elements. These are the learnings from Storm Éowyn. The back-up generators are to make sure our farms are future-proofed for people who are without power for a considerable time.
If there is another significant storm this winter, the 1,945 farmers who applied will be better placed to face the next storm. In future tranches, we will be able to have the cover for sheds that are structurally sound but where the roof has been blown off. We hope we do not get many storms such as that one, but we have to prepare for them. This was highlighted to me as something that was missing in the TAMS system and that I would love to address.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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I appreciate the Minister's work in that regard. That is tranche 7. When does he expect that to open?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Tranche 7 is closed. That was the back-up generators and all those elements. It is closed. A total of 1,945 people applied. They are issuing letters now. That tranche covers the back-up generators, fencing and those elements that were in it. Obviously, there is less risk of a big storm at this time of year. I need the work to be done during the summer in order that we are well placed come next winter for any future storms, and should roofs be damaged in that instance, it would be covered under future TAMS.
Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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In relation to programme D3 - fisheries-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy may come to the fisheries committee to ask me all about that.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I would happily answer it, but there would be a demarcation dispute in this committee.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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As there are a few seconds left on the point with regard to sheds, will that scheme extend beyond Storm Éowyn to the likes of snow damage?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Yes. It is not about Storm Éowyn; it is about learning from Storm Éowyn, where sheds were structurally sound but had roof damage. I want future TAMS grants to be able to cover a scenario where a shed roof is damaged by a storm but the rest of the shed is fine. In that instance, a farmer does not need a brand-new shed; he or she needs a new roof. We know the damage the weight of heavy snowfall can do. If that roof were to collapse, I would see that scenario being covered as well. We are still working on the design of that to make sure that it is robust in future tranches.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for coming before the committee this evening. I will start where the debate finished regarding Storm Éowyn and the sheds. Are the funding applications for sheds damaged by Storm Éowyn now closed?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I opened a special tranche especially for those impacted by Storm Éowyn. It was open for two weeks under emergency tranche 7. It closed on 28 March. A total of 1,945 farmers applied, who are being issued with letters now. I announced last week that 100% of those applications were going to be approved and funded. No one was left behind. Everyone who applied under the back-up generators, fencing, mulchers and chippers will be covered.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister for that. It was really needed.
We spoke about TB at the meeting of the joint committee earlier. All farmers, myself included, are terrified of what is coming regarding new TB testing and what will follow on after that. One of the things I raised earlier was that even three years or three tests after a farmer's herd became clear, a description of what happened to his or her herd will be placed on the mart's screen describing the animal and where it comes from. The market will be limited then. The animals will only be fit for feed lots, the factory or whatever. We are all terrified of that because it will mean a reduction in price. It is a case of biting one's lip, but people are very worried about that. Why does it have to follow on for so long after a herd is clear? What happens to that meat? Is it sold to the consumers the same as-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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What becomes of it?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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If it is a reactor, it is not.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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They are clear at this stage.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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If it is clear, then yes.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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They are clear, but the market will be limited. They can go to the factory. Purchasers will see a farmer has a record, the same as if a person broke the law 20 years ago and wanted to get a job as a schoolteacher or something. How long will that stay on a farmer's record?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Following engagement I have had with all stakeholders and farm organisations, I have taken on board the Deputy's concern. Most farmers are petrified are having a reactor and a breakdown in his or her herd, even more than what the Deputy has just outlined, but I understand the concern about that.
I am reflecting on those points of concern that have been raised with regard to herd categorisation. I am trying to see what solution we can come up with to address some of those concerns. However, I also acknowledge that a significant cohort of animals are at much higher risk and, percentage wise, have much greater likelihood of developing bovine TB down the line. Those animals being freely traded and moving around the country is largely what has contributed to a significant proportion of the increase in the spread of this-----
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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My time is going. What about herds that do not buy in? Dairy farmers generally do not buy in; they rear their own. That is what they have been doing. At the same time, we are being told that they are the ones with a higher prevalence of TB breakdown than beef herds, which are buying in more often. That is caused by badgers and deer spreading the disease.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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In some instances, yes.
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The Department needs to place more emphasis on that aspect of it.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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We can place-----
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The Minister should consider that. Deputy Aird does not buy in.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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That is fine. We will place as much emphasis on where the problem areas are. It does not, however, mean turning our backs on an area in which disease is seeding out that we cannot ignore. There are three causes of the spread of bovine TB. The Deputy is right; one of them is wildlife. Another is cattle transmission. The last is the residual transmission left behind in the cohort that has been in close proximity to reactors and are much more likely to be infected, particularly females older than 18 months that will be calved and kept for years. When farmers are making breeding decisions, we need them to know the risk category of the ones that are there.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy-----
Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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When does the Minister expect the last ACRES payment on his books to be paid?
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Thank you, Deputy Healy-Rae. I need to give Deputy Cooney an opportunity.
Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister and his team for coming in today and giving us a briefing on the way things are going.
Going back to ACRES, I compliment him on the fantastic work he has done in issuing ACRES payments since getting the job. As we are well aware, the costs on farmers are unbelievable because there are restrictions on farmers under ACRES. Is a plan in place to issue payments in time? What is the plan going forward? It is vital.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy Cooney for his comments and the point he made regarding ACRES. I know, from having dealt with him with regard to individual cases in Clare, that this has been a very difficult issue for many of his constituents. I was determined to do two things. One was to address the 14,500 farmers who were due money when I came into this role as quickly as possible. The other was to make sure that the solutions put in place were permanent solutions and not a quick fix, that we put in place the IT functionality and that we got to the bottom of each cohort's issues in order that they do not face these problems again next year and that a similar number of farmers are not kept waiting.
ACRES is a phenomenal scheme. More than €500 million has been paid out to Irish farmers since 2023, but a dark cloud hangs over it because not every farmer was paid. My approach has been about addressing that for each farmer who was unpaid and ensuring he or she is paid as quickly as possible while at the same time making sure that those who were not impacted by that got their balance and payments in 2024 as expected. We managed to achieve that. I believe we are now in a space where the solutions that have been put in place are permanent and we will not see anything similar to these challenges in the coming years.
Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Again, it is a fantastic scheme. I welcome what the Minister has said. I hope farmers will never be in that position again.
The second thing is felling licences. That seems to be a big issue. We were nearly assured after the storm that the processing of felling licences would speed up. There is still timber on the ground and, unfortunately, landowners are finding it hard to get felling licences. What is the update? How can we speed this on? We are still being told there is a waiting time of eight to nine months for a felling licence.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am working closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, on the area of forestry. Really good progress has been made to support those farmers who are significantly impacted by Storm Éowyn. Historic proportions of forestry were flattened around the country in windblown elements. What I and the Minister of State have done is to look to support those 26,000 ha that have been dropped, a phenomenal impact. Some 14,500 ha of that is Coillte lands and 11,500 ha is privately owned. A significant proportion of that was already the subject of a felling licence so did not require one. For those who did require one, flexibility was brought in whereby the Minister of State made sure that a thinning licence could count as a felling licence as well. That covered more and was done to encourage all those who had windblown plantations to get their applications in. Obviously, there is a serious glut of stuff on the ground at the moment. There is plenty there at present that is down and is the subject of a felling licence and that can be processed by the industry. The industry cannot process everything that has fallen such was the level of destruction. At the same time, we process all the other licence applications such that when what is down that is the subject of a licence is cleared, the next is ready to go. We are working might and main on that and I believe we are making very good progress in that space.
Joe Cooney (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Finally, we have discussed TB a lot today. TB is a major issue. I was surprised today to hear that in 12 months we had an increase of 44% in TB through stock. That is unbelievable. An awful lot of funding is being invested into this. Could we look at different ways of investing funding into it? Do we have all the options as to why TB is spreading so much? I know a lot of work has been done on it. Is there more we can do to fight and to see the amount of funding that will have to be spent in order to curtail TB? The Minister might give an update on that.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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There absolutely is more we can do. We have to change our approach because the current approach is not working and if we continue to go as we are going, the cost on farmers and the cost out of my budget on compensation will be off the charts. If I have to spend more, I would prefer to spend it once-off on a long-term solution that addresses this. That is what the whole approach has been. The set of proposals I have worked through with my officials and all the key stakeholders that I first brought to the TB forum through my chief veterinary officer back in March and that we teased through back and forth in two days of summits in May have allowed us to get to a point where I think we can agree an approach - or we can have an approach; whether it is agreed is up to others - that will give farmers support. It will support those 94% who do not have it to stop it spreading and find that extra disease that is out there, is going undetected at the moment and is causing that problem. It is seeding it out. We have to address that. We have to do more in wildlife and we have to support our farmers across the board. That is what I am looking to do.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I call on Deputy Newsome Drennan.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister for coming in. On the figures for bovine TB, the estimated figure for 2025 is down on last year. Is that correct?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The estimated figure of money?
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Yes. For 2024 it is €97 million and for 2025 the estimate is €73 million. Does that also include the payments for farmers whose animals have come down with TB?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Yes, that will include the compensation money, but the truth is that that original figure of €97 million from 2024 included a Supplementary Estimate. There was not enough budgeted for at that time. The spread of the disease has been increasing. It was at 23% between 2023 and 2024 and is 44% now, as Deputy Cooney said. What is budgeted for this year is €73.5 million. That will not be anywhere near enough to address the spread of the disease this year.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Obviously not, so it will have to be increased or come from somewhere.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Exactly.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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As regards the transport controls for animal health, last year it was €900,000 but it is €700,000 for this year. Why is there-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Which subheading is that?
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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It is just under it. It is A3. Should that not be more, not less? I refer to the animal transport controls and the inspections.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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That must be on the smaller page, is it?
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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It is under the same page. It is on the second page of the Estimates. Basically, €900,000 was the target for 2024. This year it is €700,000, so it is down on figures. Should that not be the same or at least more?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I will get the Deputy a reason and a breakdown for that now. As regards the overall heading, there was a change in that. It is up €5 million overall because we have the control of dogs in now. I do not have to hand right now-----
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Basically, it is the estimated number of animals that are controls.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Yes, under A3.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.
Can the Minister explain the agri-environment scheme, which is on the next page? It is B3 and B4. What is the difference between the agri-environment scheme and the agri-climate rural environment scheme? Are they ACRES? I refer to B3, the agri-environment scheme, and B14, the agri-climate rural environment scheme. Both those figures are way down, so I want to know-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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B4 is ANCs, is it not?
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I am referring to B3 and B14, the agri-enviroment schemes. There are two: the agri-environment scheme and the agri-climate rural environment scheme.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I can answer that for the Deputy now. Sorry, I did not realise she was talking about B14 as well. B3, the agri-environment scheme, covers TAMS and organics and the environmental elements of them. That was reduced. As regards the European recovery instrument, EURI, this is the last year we are able to claim the allocation, in 2025. For TAMS that was down €13.3 million and for organics it was down €14.9 million from that. B14 is ACRES, and we will require additional funding. There is a shortfall between what was budgeted last year for ACRES and what is required.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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Will the ACRES payments be delayed again then? Is that what will happen there without the money?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I certainly hope not-----
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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So do I.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----but I have to manage out my budget. There is a range of different areas here where I have had to manage my budget and where some things are up and some things are down. On this one-----
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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That money should be available for them. They went into that scheme. The Minister knows how many have gone into that scheme. Then there is a bit here where the hectares have gone up. Last year it was 622 ha and this year it has gone up over 3,000 ha. Is that not more money, not less money?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is right: last year's budget did not allocate enough money-----
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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But this year the Minister is saying that the payments for the hectares have gone up.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I was answering questions here earlier about the delays and the challenges farmers had faced in terms of the historical initial issues for some of the applicants in 2023 and 2024. As I said, when I came into this job on 23 January, 14,500 farmers who were due money had not been paid because there was-----
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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One of my constituents got paid only last week. That is nine months.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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There were processing problems there. I said to the Deputy now we are down to 2,961 farmers left to be unpaid-----
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Briefly, Minister. I need to move on to Deputy Aird
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----and we will have those resolved. Obviously, I have to manage out the budget for the rest of the year.
Natasha Newsome Drennan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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We need to see more money in that pot. We need to be assured of it.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is not wrong.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I call on Deputy Aird.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for coming today and I welcome Ms Dowling, Ms Hanlon and especially Gordon Conroy. It is not often we have two people from the one town. We will leave that as it is.
First, as regards the €3,000 ceiling for the cows, many farmers out there are owed north of €3,000 and I think it is the Minister's responsibility to pay them. I have been at a couple of meetings since and when a deal is done, as the Minister knows, a deal is done and the value of an animal is the value. You cannot be left short, and none of those people were told before the animal left the yard, "We are not paying you. We have a cap of €3,000." The Minister answered that question.
My next question is about the money for the overrun of the TB. I just hope that the Minister will be able to get that from the Minister, Jack Chambers, because we cannot see a situation where we start to cut back within the ministerial budget at all. These are unusual ones that happen with the overrun. This year we are coming again from what we are after discussing a few minutes ago. It could be double or triple that this year if the trend stays going the same way, so it is very important now to build that in and explain to Jack Chambers what the position is.
On the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, is the Minister proposing to give an extra €25 for the coming year? It looks to me that we will be down substantially on the agricultural environmental schemes. Is the Minister proposing to give a €6 increase in the sheep scheme? I want to talk to the Minister about the tillage sector, but I ask him to answer those questions quickly because our time will run out.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy's point on TB, which he articulated very clearly here and in the previous meeting, is completely combined with the second point he made. It is about having enough money to be able to address all elements of transmission here and support farmers who are impacted by breakdown. I have said very clearly that €73.5 million was allocated in last year's budget. In last year's budgetary negotiations, that is how much was set aside in my budget from the Department for TB. It is not enough. It will not be enough.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Would the Minister want €120 million this year?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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That plus a bit more.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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On the beef scheme then-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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In fairness, it is a big ask for the Department of Finance to approve that. Unlike other Ministers who ask for money to do extra things that would be nice to have, I have a very strong business case here. If I get the money to be able to make this investment-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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But the Minister will get the money. We know that. The beef scheme-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----I can make savings.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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He will get money. Jack Chambers will give him the money for that. We have no problem with that. What about the beef scheme?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It was announced in the most recent budget that the beef welfare scheme would increase by €25 per animal. The sheep improvement scheme was increased by €5.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Is that going forward for this year?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It is for this year. That is the plan. Obviously, I have to manage the budget I have there.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Will the sheep scheme be the same?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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That is up €5.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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It is awfully heartbreaking to see that more than 150,000 suckler farmers have gone out of the equation and more are leaving. Even though we are giving this, it is obviously not enough and it will have a huge imbalance in the whole agricultural sector. I wanted to make that point. The sheep scheme is the very same. Those schemes need to be beefed up, if the Minister can do that.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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To make a quick point in response, it is not just about the money. The conditionality around drawing it down has put some farmers off, particularly farmers who are part-time farming. I discussed this previously. Part of this feeds into the renegotiation of the next CAP and delivering proper simplification.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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In fairness, that is up to the Minister.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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No, it is. I am just saying it is not just about-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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He is making it-----
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am answering the Deputy's point.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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He can tell his officials to make it easy.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Farmers are voting with their feet on money, Deputy Aird.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely. I am a farmer. I understand.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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It is not just about the money; it is about the conditionality to achieve that money. It is not about giving them more money if there is more conditionality linked to it. That is the challenge under the current structure.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I disagree with the Minister on that. If they were making a reasonable, decent living and profit out of suckler cows, you would not have lost 150,000 suckler farmers.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Under the current structure of CAP, the costs incurred and income forgone-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Sorry, I do not have the time. Could the Minister dwell for me on the tillage sector?
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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Do not talk over one another, Deputies.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Is there money ring-fenced in the tillage sector?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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For the tillage sector, I paid out €32 million earlier this year. There was only €30 million allocated for that. The straw incorporation measure has been greatly oversubscribed and there were more than €15 million of applications for that. I have announced that I will fully support that, even though there was only €10 million allocated for it. I want to support our tillage sector. It is under significant pressure and it has had a very difficult year. We will also see €10 million paid out under the protein aid scheme. There is very significant support for our tillage sector in the-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Was there not a Government commitment to ring-fence €60 million?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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What I have outlined there already-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Is that not right?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The tillage vision group produced a report about what it wanted to do over a period of time. I have to manage all of the budget open to me at present. I am aware of the challenges the tillage sector faces. I have outlined some of the key expenditure-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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But it is not guaranteed?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----this year, including the straw incorporation measure. I only had €10 million for it and I committed to paying more than €15 million to 100% fund that.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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What about the €60 million?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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If you put €32 million with €15 million-----
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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So it is not ring-fenced?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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-----and the €10 million for protein aid , you are getting there.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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That is grand. It is not there.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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You are getting there.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I am conscious that a vote has been called in the Dáil. I have three very quick questions. The ACRES spend did not happen on the timeline the Minister was expecting. I know that improvements have been made on the processing of applications. Is that resolved? Will future ACRES payments go out at the time the farmers expect to get paid?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Absolutely. We are down to 2,961 farmers from 2024 whose payments are outstanding. We are making good progress with them. We cleared 1,700 last week. I expect to clear a very significant figure again this week and see progress over the next two weeks. We will make very good progress in June. I will not rest until the last case is sorted.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister. On farm safety measures and the Estimates, and even looking forward to next year, will the Minister require an increase in funding or does he have additional planned improvements?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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We allocated €2.5 million to farm safety last year. I was very proud to establish that fund as the first Minister of State with responsibility for farm safety. We also included farm safety as part of TAMS at a 60% rate, which has seen a huge amount of pick-up. There have been really significant investments around animal handling facilities, and beyond, that are really important. I will work closely with the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, on this area because I feel very passionately about it. I know he does too. I will work very closely with him to make sure we continue to spend heavily in this area to support farmers and positive, proactive actions.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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That is definitely an issue on which I am keen to see an increase.
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I am happy to work on it with the Cathaoirleach.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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On TB, there has been considerable talk about the money involved - up to €130 million, a big portion of which goes to compensation for the farmer. When there is a reactor and the price is agreed, the animal heads off to the factory, which will pay a couple of hundred euro for that animal whereas the Exchequer pays the balance of the agreed funding. Cattle prices are high. There is expected to be an increase in the number of reactors. The factory is getting a lot of low-cost cattle for a couple of hundred euro. That same animal would have cost €1,500 and they are able to pick it up for €400. We, the Exchequer, are paying the balance. Is the Minister engaging with the factories to put pressure on them to ensure they pay a bigger portion to the farmer and, in that way, save the Exchequer money?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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We will do a root-and-branch of review every element of TB, including the funding side. Wherever I can find money, I am absolutely looking for it. I remind the Chair that meat which is contaminated with TB does not go into the food chain.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I have a final question. Is the Department taking responsibility for the control of dogs?
Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Yes, we have had responsibility for it since 1 June. That is why there is an extra budgetary allowance.
William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)
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That is great news.
Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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We need to go to the Dáil to vote. On behalf of the select committee, I thank the Minister and his officials for assisting the committee in its consideration of the Revised Estimates and for dealing comprehensively with the questions of Deputies.