Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach; I think that is his official title for today anyway. I thank him for stepping up to make today possible. It is appreciated.

I thank the Minister for coming into the House. He is always very good. When anyone has a Commencement matter, as lead Minister, he always comes in and takes it..

As someone from a farm of tillage farmers, it is first important to note that we often feel as though we are forgotten farmers in the scheme of things. Dairy, beef, pig and sheep take much of the coverage but it is good to recognise the role that tillage farmers play in this country and the important impact they have.

It is important to recognise the scheme that was announced this week and the €12 million package, which is very significant, to prioritise the sector. That is really important. Of that €12 million, €10 million is for the new scheme that is being set up. The other €2 million is for schemes that are in place. There is approximately €1 million each for both those schemes, that is, greater aid for protein crops and the multispecies scheme. What was the uptake on those schemes previously? If more money is being put into them, is the uptake of those schemes so high that there a demand for it anyway? If an extra €1 million is being put into those schemes, does the Minister expect it to be drawn down? That question is just to see if it is worthwhile putting money into those schemes.

I have spoken to farmers in County Tipperary over the past number of days on this issue. There is a certain level of confusion about how the scheme will work and how tillage farmers will benefit from it. That is understandable because this is all being done very quickly on the back of what is happening in Ukraine.

However, most farmers who are even considering it say that when they take into account the rising costs in fuel, fertiliser and everything that goes with it, and if they have a contractor coming in to do the work, €400 per hectare will not be financially beneficial. It is more hassle than it is worth for people to do it, to be perfectly honest. That needs to be taken into account.

I have a number of questions regarding the scheme. When we talk about tillage farmers, is there a definition of "tillage farmers"? How many acres does a person have to have on his or her land to be classed as a tillage farmer to be able to apply for this scheme? Will there be a cap in terms of how much land a person can use for this?

There is a bit of confusion over someone leasing land they did not have last year but that was used for tillage and crops. Will that person be able to apply for this scheme? If, say, the Minister had 30 acres he was farming last year and then this year, he decided to lease it to me, it is still the same 30 acres that has crop on it. We are not actually gaining any crop. Is the new farmer who owns that land qualified for that? The argument he or she will make is that it is the same land and same crop but if it was not leased to that farmer, then that land might not have been used. It is a valid enough argument.In terms of what land people can use, in my area of Tipperary there is a limited amount of land set aside. Can wild bird cover be used? Do EU measures for land that has been set aside need to be relaxed so that it could be used to increase feed? The people I have been speaking to welcome the package and that tillage farming is being prioritised, but more information would be appreciated. I thank the Minister for coming to the House to deliver the response.