Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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125. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way in which he will support tillage farmers given challenges in the sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [65161/25]

Paula Butterly (Louth, Fine Gael)
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141. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on the tillage support scheme, as announced in Budget 2026. [66614/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 125 and 141 together.

I fully acknowledge the pressures facing the tillage sector, not least the very challenging market conditions and downward price pressure this season. This Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops.

In recognition of the sector’s importance, my Department will be supporting the tillage sector in 2026 with funding of €50m through the Protein Aid Scheme, the Straw Incorporation Measure and a new Tillage Support Scheme.

Having secured additional funding in Budget 2026 to further support the sector, I intend to consult with stakeholders on how this funding will be utilised.

In addition to commitments made in Budget 2026, my Department has provided significant direct supports to tillage farmers in recent years. This year, the budget for the Protein Aid Scheme is €10m, having increased from €7m to €10m annually from last year.

Applications for approximately 66,000 hectares of cereals and oilseed rape straw were submitted for chopping and incorporating under the Straw Incorporation Measure this year, and I made the decision to pay all eligible applicants 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 Farming for Water EIP has a budget of €60m to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including establishment of cover crops. The tillage sector is also being supported under other schemes, including the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme, ACRES and the Organic Farming Scheme.

The Food Vision Tillage Group report 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, and as it is an industry report, it will require collaboration and sustained effort from all stakeholders.

I will continue to work with the tillage sector and provide targeted support where possible given the strategic importance of the sector within the wider agricultural industry.