Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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33. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when he will introduce crisis aid funding to tillage farmers who had their crop destroyed due to severe weather in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4903/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is very aware I hosted a Tillage Stakeholders Forum last October which consisted of representatives from all sides of this Sector. Following a very productive meeting I subsequently initiated a number of responses to address key issues raised by stakeholders.

As I set out at the Forum, one of my priorities has been to address the impact of the change in the sterling exchange rate and lower commodity prices in some sectors, which have caused cash flow difficulties for farmers. So I was pleased to announce the launch of the “Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme” on Tuesday.

The Scheme was developed in co-operation with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI), which has confirmed that AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank will distribute the loans, making €150 million available to farmers throughout Ireland at low-cost interest rates of 2.95%. It will provide tillage farmers with a low cost, flexible source of working capital and will allow them to pay down more expensive forms of short-term debt, ensuring the ongoing financial sustainability of viable farming enterprises.

As an additional support to cash flow on farms, including Tillage farms, I also confirmed that advance payments would be made in 2016 in respect of the Basic Payment and Greening Payment schemes.

Advance payments commenced on the 17 October last, the earliest possible date by which payments can begin under the governing EU Regulations, with the addition of balancing payments from the 1 December.

To date €1,174 billionhas been paid out to 123,199 farmers and payments are ongoing. Payments of €198,722 million have also been made to 93,000 applicants under the Areas of Natural Constraints scheme.

In my concluding remarks to the stakeholder forum of last October, I reiterated my view that in the changing international economic landscape we need to take a fresh look at our tillage industry to ensure that it is best positioned to withstand future challenges and to avail of new opportunities which may present themselves.

The Forum is therefore an opportunity to explore and build such opportunities, as well as addressing the challenges. As I stated in the Dáil just over a week ago, I plan to convene a further meeting of the stakeholder’s forum and which I can confirm to the House will occur on the 16th of February next. This Forum will provide an opportunity for all to work together to evaluate further measures for the longterm sustainability of the tillage sector.