Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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323. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of funding provided to the Burren project in the years 2020 to 2024, inclusive. [28284/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Burren Scheme, funded by my Department under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022, with additional support from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, was an agri-environmental results-based scheme devised to improve the condition of the natural and cultural heritage of the Burren.

Farmers received payments to undertake actions focussed on habitat management for biodiversity, as well as for making complementary non-productive capital investments.

The following table shows the funding provided to the Burren Programme over the years 2020-2024.

Burren Scheme Payments

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
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324. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the level of funding provided to the Bride project in the years 2020 to 2024, inclusive. [28285/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Biodiversity Regeneration In a Dairying Environment (BRIDE) Project, funded by my Department under the Rural Development Programme 2014-2022, implemented a results-based approach on intensive farms in the River Bride valley of north County Cork aimed at conserving, enhancing and restoring habitats. Working in collaboration with farmers, the project identified priority actions to improve wildlife habitats and measured the impact of those actions on species.

The following table shows the funding provided to the BRIDE project over the years 2020-2024.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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325. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend and the number of recipients for the beef welfare scheme, in 2024. [27794/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The objective of the Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 is to further increase the economic efficiency of and enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms.

Payments in the amount of €19.98 million issued to some 23,132 Beef Welfare Scheme 2024 participants eligible for payment in early December 2024. Those not eligible for payment included participants who had not submitted a BISS application in 2024 or had not returned any records or returned insufficient records, when requested, within the stated timeframe. Those not eligible to receive a payment in December 2024, who have since become eligible, will receive a payment in the next payment run.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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326. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend and the number of recipients for the suckler carbon efficiency programme scheme in 2024. [27795/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) aims to provide support to beef farmers to improve the environmental sustainability of the national beef herd. The programme aims to build on the gains delivered in recent years through the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) and the Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme (BEEP) by improving the genetic merit of the Irish suckler herd.

Payments for scheme year 2 (2024) commenced in December 2024, with €53.67 million issuing to some 15,985 eligible SCEP participants to date. Payments will continue to issue to any remaining unpaid eligible participants as and if they become eligible for payment.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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327. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine what would be the first and full-year cost of increasing the beef welfare scheme / suckler cow scheme by €75 per cow for the first 45 cows; and what would be the percentage cost increase in this scheme. [27796/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides significant support to the beef sector under the EU co-funded Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) which is complemented by the exchequer-funded 2025 Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS).

In April, I announced that 2025 BWS will open for applications in early August. This new support scheme has a budget of €28m and will focus on practical measures to enhance animal health and husbandry on suckler farms. It will consist of three measures aimed at improving on-farm efficiency: specifically, a mandatory meal feeding action, an optional vaccination action for weanlings and a third optional action which can be either faecal egg testing or forage testing.

Participants who correctly complete all three scheme actions can expect to receive a payment of €75 per eligible calf subject to a maximum of 45 calves per herd. As a result of increasing the payment rate and the eligible calf cap, the maximum payment that a farmer can receive will rise from €2,000 to €3,375 for correctly completing three scheme actions, which represents an increase of 69% in the total maximum amount payable to participants compared to the 2024 scheme. To date, total payments of €20m have been issued to over 23,000 farmers in respect of their participation in 2024 BWS.

If the payment rate were doubled to €150 per eligible calf, that is increased by €75 per head, and all participants correctly completed all actions, then the overall scheme cost could be expected to likewise double.

When coupled with the SCEP, participants in the 2025 BWS will be eligible to receive €225 per cow/calf pair for the first 22 pairs in their herds. Any changes to the SCEP payment rates would necessitate an amendment to the CAP Strategic Plan, requiring European Commission approval and additional national financing. Full details and terms and conditions of the 2025 BWS will be available on my Department’s website prior to scheme opening.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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328. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend and the number of recipients in the area of natural constraint scheme in 2024. [27797/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Areas of Natural Constraints scheme provides payments to people farming land in designated areas that face significant hardships from factors such as remoteness, difficult topography, climatic problems, and poor soil conditions.

Support is provided based on the following categories of land:

Category 1 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 1 is characterised by extensive farming practices focused on livestock management on higher ground.

Category 2 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 2 is characterised by extensive livestock grazing practices on lower ground.

Category 3 land: The system of farming prevalent in Category 3 is less extensive in nature and characterised by grazing livestock enterprises.

Offshore island land: Island holdings are generally small and fragmented where the potential for intensification is limited and farming is economically marginal, at best.

The information requested by the Deputy is shown in the table below.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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329. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend and the number of recipients for the tillage incentive scheme in 2024. [27798/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Tillage Incentive Scheme (TIS) was an emergency support Measure introduced following the war in the Ukraine. The aim of the scheme was to incentivise farmers to increase the eligible tillage crop area in order to assist in reducing the dependency on imported feed material.

In 2024, a maintenance payment was available to those, who having converted area to tillage in 2023, and were successful beneficiaries under TIS 23, continued to maintain their overall tillage area into 2024.

A total of 1,003 beneficiaries received a maintenance payment worth €1,446,025 under the Tillage Incentive Scheme 2024.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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330. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend and the number of recipients for the sheep improvement scheme and the sheep welfare scheme, in 2024. [27799/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) provides support to sheep farmers for carrying out actions that improve animal health and welfare in the sheep sector.

To date €18.5 million has been paid to 16,714 herds under SIS 2024 (Year 2). These payments were paid at a rate of 85%. The balancing payments of 15% for 2024 will commence shortly to cleared cases.

To date €15.20 million has been paid to 16,336 herds under NSWS 2024. Further payments will issue under NSWS 2024 as any unpaid eligible applications are cleared for payment.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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331. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the first and full-year cost of increasing the sheep improvement scheme by €5 per ewe; and what be the percentage cost increase in this scheme. [27800/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides significant support to the sheep sector under the EU co-funded Sheep Improvement Scheme (SIS) and through the exchequer-funded 2025 National Sheep Welfare Scheme.

The SIS is the principal dedicated support for the sector with an allocation of €100m over the duration of the current CAP Strategic Plan (CSP). This multi-annual scheme will operate until 2027 and provides financial support to upland and lowland farmers who undertake additional measures to improve the welfare of their flocks. The targeted welfare measures include lameness control, parasite control, flystrike control, mineral supplementation and meal feeding, management of pregnant ewes, as well as the purchase and use of a genotyped ram.

Scheme participants currently receive a payment of €12 per breeding ewe for correctly completing selected actions and over €18.5m has been paid out to date to almost 17,000 farmers in respect of their participation in year two of the scheme.

A €5 increase is equal to a 42% increase in the payment rate. If the payment rate were increased by 42%, then the overall scheme cost could be expected to likewise increase by 42% for each of the remaining years. Ultimately the cost will depend on participation rates.

It is important to note that an increased SIS payment rate would require scheme participants to undertake additional actions as all supports must be justified on the basis of the costs incurred and income foregone principle. It is difficult to forecast uptake of actions without considering other related factors such as the menu of available options, the extent to which they are suitable for different production systems etc. Furthermore, as the SIS is a CSP scheme, any changes to the core scheme rules and structure would necessitate an amendment to the CSP, requiring European Commission approval and additional national financing.

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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332. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine following the establishment of the Forest Windblow Taskforce, if he will provide details of the terms of reference for the Taskforce; if the provision of financial supports to affected landowners is under consideration by the Taskforce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27801/25]

Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein)
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333. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the next meeting of the Forest Windblow Taskforce will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27802/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 332 and 333 together.

I recognise that the recent storms Darragh and Éowyn have caused varying degrees of damage around the country, including significant damage to trees and that this presents challenges to all stakeholders in forestry.

Alongside Minister of State Michael Healy-Rae, I set up a Forest Windblow Taskforce with stakeholders from across the sector, with the primary goal of ensuring that storm-damaged forests are managed safely and appropriately and that all issues in relation to the harvesting, mobilisation of timber and replanting of affected sites are considered.

The Taskforce is contributing to the Department’s and the wider sector’s response to the storms with particular emphasis on dealing safely with the large areas of forest blown down by the storms. This includes prioritising of Storm damage felling licences and an examination of any issues that arise in relation to the harvesting, haulage and sawmilling of the blown trees.

The Taskforce is currently primarily considering the capacity of the sector to mobilise and process windblown timber.

The first workshop discussion, using expertise from the pan-European Forest Risk Facility, took place recently to quickly formulate the action plan. The primary discussion in that workshop was to identify bottlenecks in the process of mobilising timber and finding agreed solutions to each that are found.

The sixth meeting of the Windblow Taskforce took place last week. It considered further the action plan and agreed the next steps, which is being used as a guide in tackling the harvesting, silvicultural, training, supply chain and marketing challenges. The next meeting of the Taskforce date will be arranged in the coming days.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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334. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend for the investment aid for the development of the horticulture sector in 2024. [27811/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine issued €19 million in payments to the Irish horticulture sector in 2024 through a range of schemes, including the Scheme of Investment Aid for the Development of the Commercial Horticulture Sector, the EU Producer Organisation Scheme for the Fruit and Vegetable Sector, the Schemes of Investment Aid for Innovation and Diversification in Horticulture and the Horticulture Crisis Fund.

This level of payments clearly demonstrates the governments ongoing commitment to supporting this vitally important sector and aligns with the vision set out in the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 to grow a more profitable, value-added sector, driven by innovation and sustainability.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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335. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the first and full-year cost of a 25% increase in the budget for the agri food regulator. [27812/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The current budget allocated to the Agri-Food Regulator for 2025 is €1.96m so a 25% increase in budget for 2026 would amount to an additional €490,000.

It is important to note that the Agri-Food Regulator's level of funding for subsequent years may be altered as part of the normal DAFM budget and expenditure revision process and that the figures detailed above are based on the current budget allocation for 2025.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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336. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend in the forestry programme in 2024. [27813/25]

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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337. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total spend on ash die back scheme in 2024. [27814/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 336 and 337 together.

I propose to take PQs 336 and PQ 337 together.

The Forestry Programme 2023-2027 was approved by the Government in September 2023 and is funded with €1.3bn. This funding represents the largest ever investment by an Irish Government in tree-planting, put in place to incentivise farmers to the greatest extent possible to engage with tree-planting as an additional income stream and diversification option.

The overall aim of the Forestry programme is to increase forest cover whilst also delivering ecosystem services with environmental and climate benefits.

The total spend on the forestry programme in 2024 was some €73,271,391 of which €69,043,545 is capital and €4,227,846 is current expenditure, and I can confirm that, in the year to date, €47,731,713 has been spent.

Since the first finding of Ash Dieback in Ireland in 2012, my Department has introduced Reconstitution Schemes to restore forests planted under the afforestation scheme which had suffered from, or which were associated with, plants affected by disease. A total of €14.5 million has been expended to date on these schemes which included a grant for site clearance as well as replanting.

In July 2023 my Department launched the latest of these Schemes the Reconstitution scheme for Ash Dieback under the new Forestry Programme 2023-27. In 2024 my Department spent some €3,392,297 on 954.9 hectares in the Reconstitution scheme for Ash Dieback Scheme, with a further €2,194,725 on the Climate Action Performance Payment Scheme, which was approved by Cabinet on 30 April 2024.

I want to encourage Ash forest owners to engage with the enhanced reconstitution scheme as the quickest and most effective way to clear and reconstitute affected sites in compliance with the Forestry Act 2014. Forest owners who apply for the Scheme now will not be disadvantaged in relation to any further initiatives under the action plan.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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338. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost to provide full compensation for the Forgotten Farmers. [27815/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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As part of Budget 2025 my Department secured an allocation of €5 million for 2025 to provide support to the group of farmers commonly referred to as forgotten farmers. A key first step in this process was to launch the online survey to assist in determining the number of farmers who meet the long-standing criteria for forgotten farmers. This scheme will be called the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers. The online survey in preparation for the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers can be accessed at Agfood.ie and will remain open until Friday, 30 May 2025.

Details of the eligibility requirements, the benefits to successful applicants and total support payable under any scheme will be finalised when the results of the survey have been assessed by my Department.

Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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339. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the first and full-year cost of increasing the budget for animal welfare charities by 10%. [27816/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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Animal welfare is a key priority for me as Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and for the Government.

In 2020, my Department allocated €3.2 million in funding for animal welfare organisations, under the animal welfare grants programme. In December 2023, my Department announced the record allocation of €6 million in funding, again under the animal welfare grants programme, to 101 animal welfare charities throughout the country. This marked the largest award of grant funding to animal welfare bodies. In 2024, my Department awarded the same figure, matching the previous year’s record award.

The information requested by the Deputy is set out below, in tabular form.