Malcolm Byrne (Wicklow-Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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152. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way his Department is supporting and will support the development of a commercial flour sector in Ireland, including through the tillage strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13680/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The tillage sector is an important and integral component of the Agri-food industry making a significant contribution to overall agricultural output. This Government recognises the importance of the sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops in the years ahead.

The Climate Action Plan has set a target of growing the tillage area to 400,000 hectares as a diversification measure. This target is well founded given the low emissions from the tillage sector. The report of the Food Vision Tillage Group, sets out a road map to grow the area under tillage crops. My Department is engaging with stakeholders to progress the implementation of the actions in the report. This will require collaboration and commitment from many stakeholders across the sector.

Adding value to tillage crops grown on Irish farms and sharing this value with farmers is one way of ensuring the long-term viability of the tillage sector. Irish wheat grown to produce flour is one such added value crop.

I note the Food Vision Tillage Group included an action of exploring opportunities for developing a premium milling industry and I understand that consultation carried out by Enterprise Ireland with industry has identified that bakery manufacturers in Ireland would strongly welcome the development of an Irish flour mill.

The development of flour milling or other processing or manufacturing facilities is, of course a matter for the commercial sector. I understand that Enterprise Ireland is at present exploring the feasibility of capital supports for any viable proposal that might emerge.