Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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617. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of fodder, hay or silage produced under the fodder support scheme in 2022 and to date in 2023; the percentage of fodder that the scheme contributed to overall fodder supplies in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24465/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the Deputy will be aware that on the 15^thJune 2022, I announced the launch of the €56 million Fodder Support Scheme. The aim of the scheme was to incentivise farmers, in particular drystock farmers, to grow more fodder (silage and/or hay) to ensure Ireland does not have any animal welfare issues over the 2022 winter and 2023 spring.

Building on the success of the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme, on the 2^ndNovember 2022, I launched the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme.

The 2023 Fodder Support Scheme is a continuance of the 2022 Scheme and only successful applicants for the 2022 Fodder Support Scheme were eligible to apply for the 2023 Scheme, which closed at midnight on the 5th of December 2022.

Although applicants may declare a greater number of hectares on which they intend to cut fodder (silage and/or hay), the maximum amount payable under either the 2022 and/or the 2023 Fodder Support Scheme is 10 hectares per applicant. The table below details the number of declared and paid hectares for successful applicants in both the 2022 and 2023 Fodder Support Scheme as of 18^thMay 2023.

Applicants are not required to record data on the volume of fodder produced per hectare applied for under the Fodder Support Scheme.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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618. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of tillage produced under the tillage incentive scheme in 2022 and to date in 2023; the percentage of tillage that the scheme contributed to overall grain supplies in each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24466/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Last year, I introduced the Tillage Incentive Scheme which is acknowledged as contributing to an increase in the area under tillage of 20,000ha or 6% from approximately 320,000ha in 2021 to 340,000ha in 2022. This comprised of an increase of 13,000ha in the area of cereal crops and 7,000ha in the area under alternative crops.

The Scheme is a support measure to incentivise an increase in domestic production thereby reducing dependency on imports. I secured funding of €10 million for the continuation of the Scheme in Budget 2023.

The increase in cereal area last year was reflected in a greater volume of grain output. The Teagasc Harvest 2022 Report estimated cereal (wheat, oats and barley) output at 2.42 million tonnes. This is a 93,000 tonne increase over 2021, which was also a high output year with good yields. The 2022 cereal harvest was the biggest harvest since 2016. An increased area of winter crops last year which are generally higher yielding, coupled with record yields from some spring crops and increase in area as a result of the scheme contributed to this output.

It is too early to establish the impact of the 2023 Tillage Incentive Scheme on new tillage area and grain supplies. Information on overall crop areas, the area claimed under TIS and estimates on grain output will allow for an assessment of the contribution of the Scheme in 2023. However, this information will only become available later in the year.