Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. As a Government, we acknowledge the massive increase in input costs for farmers and how that is affecting their bottom line. A few weeks ago, we announced funding for pig farmers as part of a scheme to help that sector. As the Deputy will know, we have had a pro ratareduction in the cost of green diesel. Today, the Government made a decision to incentivise farmers to grow more grain by way of a €10 million tillage incentive scheme that will encourage them to grow more barley, oats and wheat. A payment of €400 per ha is proposed. We anticipate that we could have up to 25,000 additional ha under tillage as a result. There is also a €1.2 million fund for protein crops, including peas, beans and lupins, which will provide a guaranteed payment of €300 per ha. As well as that, an additional €1 million is being provided to the multi-species sward scheme, again to assist and encourage farmers to grow.

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