Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)

I know the Senator raised this with me this morning. We had a meeting in the Department recently regarding the tillage industry with the senior Minister, Deputy Martin Heydon. He mentioned that he spoke to the Senator about this and the concerns the Senator raised. I know that, in the area of the country the Senator comes from, there are a lot of tillage farmers who grow grain, corn and things like that. As he clearly stated, the price of renting land has gone up from €200 to nearly €400 and the price of manure and fertiliser has gone up a lot while the price of the grain has gone down. The Minister is very well aware of that; the Senator has raised it with him. The Minister was very adamant in the negotiations coming up to the budget that there would be a substantial amount of money put in there to support the tillage growers. The Minister has made it quite clear that he wants to target it to help the people who have suffered most in this. Some people might not have suffered, given the crops they might have got over the past number of years thanks to the weather, but the Minister is determined to bring a scheme in to help the tillage industry. I acknowledge that the Senator has raised it. I also acknowledge the case he outlined in the House. I will bring it to the attention of the Minister.