John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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154. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine for an update on the Programme for Government commitment to increase scheme supports for suckler farmers and ensure straightforward measures to encourage uptake; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66124/25]

Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government acknowledges the vital role of farmers as a driving force in the rural economy and as custodians of the landscape while ensuring sustainable food production for a growing world population.

Strengthening farm incomes is a priority for this Government. We will continue to support the suckler sector with targeted exchequer supports and with other EU co-funded supports that are available to all farmers through the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP).

In Budget 2026, I secured an allocation of €131 million for the livestock sector, which will ensure the continuation of existing dedicated supports, including those worth over €79m to the suckler sector in 2026.

Those supports consist of €51.2m for the multi-annual CSP Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme and €28m for the annual Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS). The budget for the current BWS in 2025 was an increase of €8m, or 40%, on the preceding year of 2024. The scheme attracted approximately 24,500 participants and payments are scheduled to issue in early December.

It is standard practice for my Department to consult the farm organisations on the design and implementation of various schemes that affect their members. The popularity of the current beef schemes are due to the straightforward, practical and beneficial measures put in place.

In addition, there are many other multi-annual schemes available under the current CSP, which is worth €9.8 billion to farmers and rural communities between 2023 and 2027. These include basic income payments as well as agri-environment, investment and organic farming schemes.

I am committed to continue providing suckler farmers with meaningful supports aimed at promoting a viable, resilient and sustainable suckler sector.