Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also referred to the straw incorporation measure, which is very important. I introduced it for the first time and it is now plugged into the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. Some €10 million was paid last year for that. There was also a doubling of the protein aid in terms of the coupling under pillar 1. Those are supports that were never there before and are there again. It did achieve a reversal last year. Thankfully, we saw it start to go in the right direction. We are in a very different year this year with unique pressures. I want to gather all ideas, including any ideas Deputy Cairns might have, because we need to pool all the brainpower in the sector in order to see how we can take it forward. I established this committee to respond to the various challenges, especially those that have emerged in recent months, in order that I can bring together the knowledge of everyone in this sector and look at the proposals we can adopt to ensure that the tillage sector grows. I am concerned at where it is at this year. The sector is under pressure in spite of the progress I have made as Minister, working with the sector in recent years. I am concerned that we could see a shrinkage in the area under tillage this year rather than continued growth. That is something I do not want to happen. I want to see what steps I can take, as Minister, to continue the momentum we had built up to last year.

See this speech in context