I thank the Deputy for raising what is an important issue. In the aftermath of Storm Éowyn, the Government increased its focus on storm preparedness and building resilience. My Department has been contributing to an extensive review of the whole-of-government response to the storm. The review, co-ordinated by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, is examining all aspects of the response with a view to identifying key lessons across all sectors. A steering group and two subgroups, on humanitarian assistance and on critical infrastructure and essential services, have been formed, with membership drawn from across Departments, utility and energy suppliers, principal response agencies, the transport sector and local authorities. It is expected that the review will be brought to the Government shortly. The recommendations from the review will feed into the work already under way across government to bolster our preparedness for severe weather events. A number of measures were introduced by my Department to assist those impacted by Storm Éowyn. The targeted reopening of the 2025 scheme of investment aid for the development of the commercial horticulture sector was facilitated to deal only with growers proposing investments in response to the storm damage. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, was actively involved in this. A three-week tranche of the targeted agriculture modernisation scheme 3, TAMS 3, was opened in March to support farmers after Storm Éowyn, providing grant aid for backup power-take-off, PTO, generators and other equipment. The scheme supports new installations and will help farmers to become more resilient to future weather events by supporting investment in equipment that can restore power quickly after storms. I visited affected farms in the Leitrim area in the immediate aftermath of Storm Éowyn. This was in my first few days as Minister for agriculture. I saw at first hand a dairy farm that had its power lines flattened by wind-blown trees from a plantation nearby. The farmer was able to continue to operate because of a PTO-driven generator. I recognised the importance of this and knew we needed to support more farmers to get these generators in the future. This was one of a number of practical responses.
Sentiment score: 0.16
Absolutely. The Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, and I intervened with emergency supports for the horticulture and forestry sectors. The measures I introduced under TAMS and to change the rules around TAMS were all in response to what was an absolutely seismic weather event. It is really important that we learn from it because we know that, with climate change, we are likely to see more of these events. Although they feel like they arise once in a generation, unfortunately we have to prepare for the fact that they are going to become commonplace, and that is why the Deputy’s question was very well placed. It is about learning from these events. The scale of the damage to our forestry estate alone was enormous, as the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, will tell the Deputy. This is why grant aid is available under TAMS 3 for standalone solar water pumps and solar fencing, which operate off grid, allowing operation during power outages. This is another example of a practical intervention we are supporting to improve off-grid resilience should farmers be affected by a loss of power over a sustained period.
Sentiment score: 0.09
I thank the Deputy. I have one last point. To ensure farmers are more resilient in advance of weather events, I have announced plans to introduce grant support under TAMS for the replacement of roofs. Up to now, TAMS covered only new structures. A farmer could not modify an existing structure under it. Subject to appropriate professional analysis confirming that a storm-damaged structure is sound and that it is only the roof that has blown off, a TAMS grant will cover the replacement. That avoids having to knock a perfectly good shed instead of just replacing the purlins of the roof. This is another practical measure. In the past, we did not believe we would have to introduce it. We did not think these storms would be so ferocious. This confirms the reasons farmers are taking so many steps to reduce emissions and contribute to climate resilience, but we need to be practical about the impact storms will have. That is why I thank the Deputy for this question. I look forward to working with him on this in the future.
Sentiment score: 0.18
I thank the Deputy for raising this point. Of all the big issues we are dealing with and will discuss in this House, be it the budget just passed or all the other challenges, nothing is as central as the CAP, because it sets out the framework for the seven years beyond 2027. At the most recent Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting, held in Brussels in September 2025, I took the opportunity to outline that the proposed governance and structure of the post-2027 multi-annual financial framework, MFF, or the overall European budget, represents a major change in how the CAP will operate, with national and regional partnership plans, NRPPs, replacing the existing two-pillar model, which has worked so well for the Irish farming system for so long. I emphasised that the CAP must remain a policy that works in practice – one that delivers stability and predictability for farmers while remaining manageable for national administrations. We do not want loads of resources to be used for the administration of the schemes; we want appropriate simplification of administration, which benefits the farmers. We also want appropriate simplification for farmers in real terms, which previous CAPs have failed to deliver despite the best of intentions. The failure was not deliberate, but in Brussels since January I have seen that things that the best of intentions would lead people to believe are simplified can be very different in practice. What suits one country may not suit another and that is why elements of subsidiarity and national flexibility are very important. This is why I highlighted the need for sufficient flexibility at member state level to design schemes suited to their own agrifood systems, while preserving the integrity of the CAP as a common EU policy. We do not want to lose commonality or to have member states competing with each other, with all the associated state-aid implications. Undermining the common element of the CAP will actually undermine the genuine benefit Irish farmers have got from being part of the Common Market. On the other side, we need flexibility that leads to the recognition that farming in Ireland is very different from that in Slovakia, Slovenia or Spain in many instances. We need flexibility in the design. I will have more points to make in response to the supplementary questions.
Sentiment score: 0.23
I concur. It comes down to brass tacks, or money, and that is why I stress the budget dimension is of central importance. I stressed this to Commissioner Hansen. I welcome his efforts in securing a €296 billion ring-fenced EU-wide CAP envelope. This is a significant achievement in the context of there being no commitments to ring-fencing beforehand. It has been very clear there was not going to be ring-fencing. To get a specific amount ring-fenced, not just a percentage but €296 billion, was a significant achievement. Ireland's indicative allocation of €8.16 billion represents a significant reduction from the current €10.7 billion. This is a substantial change and one that raises concerns around maintaining an effective level of support for farmers and rural communities. The Deputy is right that we do not want to be going back to national envelopes and having fights nationally. I am really clear that we need to fight for more money for this in Europe as a starting point and that is something I am really keen to do.
Sentiment score: 0.18
In my first nine months in the job, I hope I have demonstrated that I have good, sharp elbows. In my recent budget negotiations, I secured a 9% increase on the Department of agriculture's overall allocation, whereas the summer economic statement indicated that the overall increase in Government spending would be only 6%. I think the Department has received the second largest percentage increase in current allocations compared with last year's budget. I have, therefore, demonstrated an ability to put forward a credible plan, look for money and get it for the right reasons. That is possible when you have a clear plan, as I have around bovine TB, supporting the tillage scheme, generational renewal and the need to support our ACRES farmers and others who have also been through a rough time. Similarly, at this point, my focus here is on fighting for more money in Europe. I will have sharp elbows there if we are fighting to get money out of a national pot, but we do not want to be in that space. Ireland is a net contributor to the overall EU budget and 75% of the receipts we get back from Europe have come through the CAP. If we lose that and if there is a reduction in what we get back from the CAP, there will be a reduction for the Exchequer overall and the taxpayer will lose because we will get less money coming back in. I am not willing to leave that money behind me. Ireland will have the Presidency of the EU from next July and, God willing, if I am still there, my role as president of the AGRIFISH Council will give us a great opportunity to build alliances with our European partners and to fight for more money at a European level for the Common Agricultural Policy.
Sentiment score: 0.22
I agree that this is one of the key issues of our time. It is also the key stressor for older farmers who may not have an identified successor or who may have more than one identified successor and only one farm. There are many challenges in that space. I do not say that light-heartedly. It genuinely is a big cause of stress and concern. Obviously, the next generation who want to farm want that certainty as well to allow them to make very big life decisions. The programme for Government prioritises "supporting inter-generational farm succession". A number of supports for generational renewal currently available to farmers under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027. These supports are complemented by a suite of strong national taxation measures and access to finance supports, as well as advisory and education and training supports. Farm succession is a complex issue and many different and competing factors are involved that impact farmers’ decisions. This includes young, trained farmers coming in or that older generation looking to pass on the farm to the next generation in a planned way. The commission on generational renewal in farming was established to examine these issues. The commission has produced a thorough analysis and made 31 recommendations across a wide range of areas, including CAP supports, pensions, taxation, access to finance, access to land, collaborative arrangements, advisory services, education and training, gender balance and the overall attractiveness of the sector. The recent budget takes the first steps towards addressing the commission’s recommendations, with a view to supporting the next generation of farmers. Taxation policy is primarily the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and I work closely with him on taxation issues relating to the agrifood sector. That is why I am pleased that we agreed that agricultural relief will remain available to farm families to facilitate succession and the intergenerational transfer of farms, and that we agreed to the renewal of 100% young trained farmer stamp duty relief. In line with the commission’s recommendation to bring more certainty to succession planning, the relief will be extended by four years instead of the normal three years for such measures. Four years is the maximum period possible under state aid rules.
Sentiment score: 0.30
To give a straight answer to a straight question, we have started already. A number of the recommendations are on the extension of the reliefs to give more certainty, including agricultural relief, young trained farmer relief and relief stamp duties. Those exemptions were worth €325 million to farm families in 2024 alone.
Sentiment score: 0.44
Extending them for as long as we possibly can under state aid rules was a key recommendation of the commission. There are 31 recommendations in total. We have started this already. An implementation team has been established in my Department and it will work on the recommendations of the commission. While some recommendations are for consideration and progress in the context of the next CAP, others can be progressed in a shorter timeframe. I want to work on those practical measures with Members of this House but also with members of Macra na Feirme and other farming organisations to make real and tangible changes. This issue really does matter and does get to the heart of our farming system, people planning for the future and planning future investment. There are many good supports in that space. The Deputy is right that our economy is at full employment and that there are challenges that come with this fact, including the other opportunities that are out there. The next generation will probably be the best educated ever, which means there are competing demands for us in that space too.
Sentiment score: 0.23
In relation to the forgotten farmers, I have addressed that issue. The scheme opened up for applications earlier in the year. Those who qualify under the terms and conditions I inherited from an issue 20 years ago will be dealt with and will be paid by the end of this year. That is an issue that will be addressed once and for all. In terms of the broader piece, a line in the report of the commission on generational renewal jumped out at me. It stated that what will not change is that the key decisions made around succession will still be taken in conversations around the kitchen table by the family members. What we have to do in government is support that conversation. When I was the Minister of State in the Department with responsibility for farmer mental health and well-being, I funded local initiatives, including a local-led project in Mayo, where we trialled supports for farm families in the area of succession to try to take the stress away from it. The thing that really struck me from it was that so many people put the decision off because they were afraid of it. They do not want to have the discussion and what triggers the need to have it. You do not want to do it in a time of crisis. There was relief among the families when they engaged with the services and realised that it makes much more sense from a taxation perspective to do this in a planned way. That is what we will do. We will have a full wraparound of services here to support farm families to make these decisions in a structured way. Some of that will be part of the next CAP, but much of it can be done in the meantime. I will continue to work on this area, including on other taxation measures that I am discussing with the Minister for Finance.
Sentiment score: 0.04
I thank Deputy Cleere. He raises a valid point. The IFA called a meeting in the Killashee Hotel in Kildare, which was attended by over 1,000 tillage farmers. I addressed the meeting and answered questions in a very robust debate. We got through the issues, not just financial and short-term issues in terms of supporting the sector and maintaining confidence among farmers so that they will plough, do minimum tillage or put seed back in the ground again next year. There are medium-term interventions that can be taken in this space. I fully recognise the pressure there is on the tillage sector, not least the very challenging market outlook and the downward price pressure this season, off the back of two really tough years. This Government recognises the importance of the tillage sector and wants to grow the area under tillage crops, but before we do that, we have to make sure we are not losing ground. This year, the amount of tillage has been stable compared to last year, but it is a third tough year for tillage farmers. We know if ground grows back from stubble into grass, it is unlikely to come back into tillage. That is why it is really important that we support the sector through this rough time. In recognition of the sector’s importance, my Department will be supporting the tillage sector in 2026 with funding of at least €50 million through the protein aid scheme, the straw incorporation measure and a tillage support scheme. Having secured additional funding in budget 2026 for a tillage support scheme, I intend to consult stakeholders on its design and operation in due course. The tillage sector will also be supported in 2026 through other schemes, including the tillage capital investment scheme, ACRES and the organic farming scheme, which I will be reopening for the tillage sector. In addition to commitments made in the budget, my Department has provided significant direct supports to tillage farmers in recent years. This year, the budget for the protein aid scheme was €10 million, having increased from €7 million to €10 million annually from last year. Applications for approximately 66,000 ha of cereals and oilseed rape straw were submitted under the straw incorporation measure this year. I committed to pay all eligible applicants, even though that was over the allocated money I had for the scheme. In February this year, I announced €32.4 million of payments under the tillage and horticulture support scheme. This was more than had been budgeted for, but I still met that commitment.
Sentiment score: 0.27
I completely agree with the Deputy. The truth is finance was found last year and has been found again for next year to support the tillage sector at a time of constrained budgets and a lot of competing demands on budgets. The farming for water European Innovation Partnership, EIP, of which tillage farmers are availing, has a budget of €60 million to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including establishment of cover crops, which we know have a really big impact as well. This year, over 1,400 tillage farmers have expressed an interest in establishing cover crops under the EIP. The Food Vision tillage group was the subset of our Food Vision strategy. It had a stakeholder-led report. It is not my report or the Department's report; it is all the stakeholders together. That Food Vision group, chaired by Matt Dempsey, came up with a series of recommendations and they were not all about money. A lot of them were structural. That medium-term structural support for the future is exactly what the Food Vision tillage group looked at. I want to work with the sector to implement and address more of those structural challenges to get ourselves to step away from the dependency on world market prices and to try to get that value-added piece, on which I can expand more.
Sentiment score: 0.36
The whiskey file is one element that we can do as part of that future-proofing piece. In the meeting with the tillage farmers on the night in question I discussed the role of quality assurance, which we can make progress on if we all work together, and addressing the use of native grains, how they are used in our feed system, how they are incorporated and how we can monetise that for farmers. Teagasc will say that there is a lower emission profile using native grains as a feedstock for Irish beef. There is a story to tell there in terms of our emission profile of the beef produced from that feed. There is a piece we need to look at and identify how we monetise it to get a greater return for the produce so that the farmer benefits from using that if there is a higher cost to that input. I have asked for the whiskey file to be re-examined. I have responsibility for the whiskey sector, which is under significant pressure. I am not coming to that with a specific viewpoint. There are pitfalls we have to be careful about here. If there was a year of a bad crop or crop failure here, we still have to be able to produce whiskey. It is about looking at that technical file to see how we can bring that value-added piece. That is the medium-term solution for supporting the tillage sector beyond one-off payments or financial direct schemes.
Sentiment score: 0.07