Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the new tillage TAMS scheme sets down criteria that persons must have a minimum of 15 hectares of eligible crops declared under the basic payment scheme or equivalent in the year of application or previous year; if this will prevent small tillage farmers from joining the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14745/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The new Tillage Scheme is targeted at farmers who have tillage as their main enterprise in order to ensure the best allocation of resources.

The investments available under the remaining TAMS II suite of measures cater for those farmers who do not meet the 15 hectare eligibility criteria but have other enterprises (e.g. dairy, beef, sheep enterprises) on their farms as well as tillage.