Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To respond to Deputy McNamara’s question, I have been advocating for the anti-dumping tariff to be removed. That has not happened at EU level. It is a small proportion of the very high cost of fertiliser at the moment but it would have been a help nonetheless. I am disappointed that did not progress at EU level.

I know Kildare, where Deputy Durkan comes from, has a great tillage sector and it is one we want to continue to support. On the pressures in the year ahead and risks around cost, I foresee that the risks will be similar to what they were this year. We do not know how matters will evolve. We do not know if the pressures will be the same but it is a volatile time and we have to be prepared and try to support farm families through the next year. That is why we have made a forward payment on the fodder scheme and will run the tillage scheme again next year. It provides a €400 payment for each extra hectare grown next year, as well as a €200 maintenance payment for each extra hectare grown this year. The multi-species sward grant will be in place next year and, for the first time ever, there will be a liming grant to support farmers to reduce their costs, become more productive and reduce emissions. We have this suite of measures in place and the energy support scheme is also available to farmers to insulate them from the pressures in the year ahead.

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