Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy again for raising this. There are two points at the heart of his question. One is the importance of our tillage sector, on which I absolutely concur with him. There is a reason my Department has had a number of interventions to support the tillage sector, which has come through a couple of really difficult years, from straw incorporation and protein aid to the tillage payment, which I was delighted to be able to sign off on early into my term. These are the supports for a tillage sector that is absolutely vital. I have always made the point that agriculture and all the different enterprises within agriculture are like a gearbox and each enterprise is dependent on the other. The livestock, dairy, beef and sheep sectors and beyond are very dependent on the tillage sector and vice versa, so it is really important that we mind all those sectors when they go through those rough times but also recognise the fact that there are opportunities for diversified income for farmers from alternative renewable energy sources. It is good for farmers to be able to maximise those returns while also not losing sight of the very important role we have in producing food.

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