Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

806. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when consultations will commence with tillage and farming organisations regarding the design of the proposed €50 million tillage support package for 2026; the process through which stakeholder input will inform the targeting of supports by crop type and farm type; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61697/25]

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

807. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way the €50 million in funding for the tillage sector in 2026 will be allocated between the protein aid scheme, straw incorporation measure and tillage support scheme; and whether he intends to refine eligibility criteria or payment rates to better support dedicated grain growers and other specialised tillage producers. [61698/25]

Michael Murphy (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

808. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to clarify whether any interim supports will be provided to the tillage sector in 2025 ahead of the introduction of the new 2026 package; and the timeline for finalising scheme design and issuing guidelines to farmers and stakeholders. [61699/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 806, 807 and 808 together.

My Department is currently examining options for the future design of supports for the tillage sector, including how best to manage the extra funding to be introduced in 2026. Consultations with relevant stakeholders on these supports will take place in the near future.

The allocation for tillage announced in Budget 2026 relates to the 2026 fiscal year. Accordingly, no interim payments will be made in 2025.

Government has provided substantial direct support to the tillage sector this year.

The budget for the Protein Aid Scheme has been increased to €10 million annually from 2024. In addition, applications covering over 66,000 hectares of cereal and oilseed rape straw were submitted under the 2025 Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), and I have committed to paying all eligible farmers who applied under the scheme.

In February of this year, I announced €32.4 million in payments under the Tillage and Horticulture Support Scheme, which was introduced in response to the difficult conditions faced by tillage and horticultural farmers due to exceptionally poor weather and continued high input costs last spring.

Furthermore, the €60 million Farming for Water European Innovation Partnership is supporting targeted on-farm actions to improve water quality, including the establishment of cover crops, which also benefits many tillage farmers.

In 2026 it is anticipated that SIM and Protein Aid will continue in their current formats as these schemes are part of the current CAP Strategic Plan agreed with the European Commission.

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