Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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635. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he had examined the range of crops included in the tillage incentive scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24912/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy may be aware, I introduced the Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) last year in response to the illegal invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The Scheme is a support measure for farmers to incentivise the increase in eligible tillage crops.

A payment of €400/ha was made on eligible tillage crop area. To qualify for the payment, there must have been an increase in the total tillage crops grown on the holding in 2022 versus 2021. Eligible crops under the Scheme included barley, wheat, oats, rye, oilseed rape, maize and beet.

The Scheme delivered €10.1 million in support for the sector last year and has been acknowledged as contributing to the estimated 6% increase in tillage area, or an additional 20,000 hectares in 2022.

The Tillage Incentive Scheme will continue in 2023 with a budget of €10 million. We have been working on developing the Scheme for 2023 which included a review of the eligible crops. The details of the Scheme will be available shortly.