Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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474. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the full-year cost of all pig sector supports in 2024 and 2025, per scheme, in tabular form. [40983/24]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The continued development of the pigmeat sector is a priority for the Government, given the pivotal role the industry plays in the national economic context. The sector supports approximately 8,000 jobs spanning production, slaughter, processing, feed manufacture and services.

As in other meat sectors, global trade conditions will be crucial in determining the outlook for the Irish pigmeat sector over the medium to longer term. According to the CSO’s July 2024 report, Irish pigmeat exports continue to perform well totalling €515.09m for the January to July period of 2024. Gaining new market access and enhancing access to existing markets for Irish pigmeat exports is integral to my Department’s strategy for the development of the agri-food sector.

In 2022, at a time when the pigmeat sector was experiencing severe financial hardship and when pig producers had to deal with enormous financial pressures, I provided significant supports, to this very valuable and important sector within Irish Agriculture. My Department successfully delivered two financial aid schemes to commercial pig farmers in 2022. In total these two schemes provided in excess of €18m in financial support to the Pig Sector at a time when the sector was under significant financial stress to ensure its ongoing viability.

The current main supports provided by my Department to the sector are:

The Targeted Advisory Service on Animal Health (TASAH) for farmers. The aim is improving the profitability and sustainability of the Irish pig industry through improved animal health. Approximately €242,169 was spent in 2024 with a similar figure being made available in 2025

Under the Targeted Agriculture Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), and specifically the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme (PPIS), the Pigmeat Sector has seen over € 0.87 million paid towards eligible applications. The total amount committed, based on approved applications, for the remainder of 2024 and 2025 is just over € 0.775 million. The actual expenditure will depend on the number of claims submitted in respect of completed investments.