Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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435. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether he has been approached by any farming organisations regarding compensation for farmers after the bad harvest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41107/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I am in regular contact with farming organisations and farm groups on issues relating to the tillage sector. I am acutely aware and appreciate the many challenges that tillage farmers have experienced this year. It is because of these challenges that I established the Food Vision Tillage Group which held its first meeting in May of this year. The Tillage Group is made up of a wide range of stakeholders from across the industry and is tasked with setting out a roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the sector.

The tillage sector is dynamic, sustainable and world-class and I want to see it grow and develop in the years ahead. In recent years, I have introduced several proactive and innovative measures to support it. The Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM) has paid €19.5m to tillage farmers since it was launched as a pilot in 2021. The Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) launched in response to the invasion of Ukraine has resulted in payment of €10.9m to scheme applicants in 2022. The Tillage Incentive Scheme has continued again this year.

In the new CAP Strategic Plan, I secured an increase in the annual budget of the Protein Aid Scheme from €3m to €7m. The successful addition of the Straw Incorporation Measure and the Protein Aid Scheme in the CAP Strategic Plan results in a total budget of €85m for tillage between 2023 and 2027.

Our new Agri-Environmental Scheme (ACRES) includes a broad range of actions that are relevant to tillage farmers while the new Tillage Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS contains a broader range of investments and a higher investment ceiling of €90,000.

The tillage sector is an important and integral component of the Agri-food industry, and its importance is recognised in the Food Vision 2030 strategy and in the Climate Action Plan. I want to put this industry on a firm footing going into the future and I assure the Deputy that I will continue to support the industry to deliver on its potential.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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436. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine whether anyone in his Department is looking into actions to mitigate the damage caused by adverse weather events (hail) in Wexford in June 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41119/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department monitors the impact of weather on agriculture and farming both nationally and regionally on an ongoing basis. While I empathise with farmers whose crops were damaged by the extreme weather event that occurred in June 2023, my Department is not planning any specific actions to mitigate the localised damage. As the Deputy is aware, these extreme weather events are unfortunately becoming more frequent as a result of climate change.

In the most recent CAP reform proposals, there was the option to allocate some funding towards mutual insurance type schemes to provide cover for weather damage. However, there was little support for this proposal from stakeholders at the time and it was not included in the agreed CAP Strategic Plan.

However, I have significantly increased the number of specific supports that my Department operates for the tillage sector generally. These include TAMS investment support for tillage farmers, the Protein Aid Scheme, the Straw Incorporation Measure and the Tillage Incentive Scheme.