Results 81-100 of 4,291 for speaker:Martin Heydon

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: That is under programme C – policy and strategy.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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...

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: The claim amounts to the received and the date of consideration.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: A total sum of €143 million is a-----

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: It is a significant portion. I think it is around 20%, is it?

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: It actually represents the €143 million in 2025 of the €260 million in the ACRES allocation. That is a €30 million increase.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: I will ask Mr. Conroy to speak on last year's funding.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: It will not see a significant increase in herds affected, which is really important, but it will require more money in the short term.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: Yes. We are only a part funder of that.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: The Departments of justice, Transport and Health do, too.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: No. That would be different from Rosslare.

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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...

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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...

Select Committee on Agriculture and Food: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Further Revised) (18 Jun 2025)

Martin Heydon: 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?