Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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957. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to recognise the need to put greater emphasis on policies and supports for the tillage sector (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48627/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The tillage sector is an integral part of Irish farming and makes a significant contribution to overall agricultural output. It is recognised as a very low greenhouse gas emitting sector when compared to other agricultural sectors. This Government recognises the importance of the sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops.

The report of the Food Vision Tillage Group, which sets out a roadmap for the growth and development of the sector, identifies opportunities to grow the sector and to further improve its environmental footprint. My Department continues to engage with stakeholders to progress the actions in the report, which will require collaboration and sustained effort from all stakeholders.

My Department has provided significant support to tillage farmers in recent years. The budget for Protein Aid has increased to €10m annually from 2024. Applications for over 66,000 hectares of cereals and oilseed rape straw were submitted for chopping and incorporating in 2025 under the Straw Incorporation measure. I have committed to paying all farmers who have applied under the Scheme.

In February this year, I announced €32.4 million of payments under the Tillage and Horticulture Support Scheme, which was Government’s response to the difficult position tillage and horticultural farmers found themselves in due to exceptionally poor weather and continued high input costs last Spring.

The tillage sector is also being supported under other schemes, including the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme, ACRES, the Organic Farming Scheme and the Farming for Water Quality EIP. The Water Quality EIP has a budget of €60m to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including establishment of cover crops. This year, almost 1,400 tillage farmers have expressed an interest in establishing cover crops under the EIP.

The Government remains committed to the sector, and I will continue working with my colleagues across Government to ensure essential targeted supports are provided where possible given the importance of the sector within the wider agricultural industry.