Taoiseach Simon Harris said today (Thursday, May 16) that the government will be aiming to build on support for tillage farmers in the upcoming budget in October.
When asked by Agriland during a farm visit in Clane, Co. Kildare, the Taoiseach said that while the government is looking at what it can “do right here and right now in advance of the budget to quickly support farmers,” it is also bearing the upcoming budget in mind too.
He was also asked if the €100/ha announced last month for tillage farmers could be expanded on for farmers later in the year.
The Taoiseach stated that the government was aiming to see how it could “build on that support in the budget in October.
“We want to look at a tillage support scheme and how we can out that into place.”
The Taoiseach acknowledged that he knows “how difficult a period of time it has been for farmers, largely owing to the weather.
“I have been on a number of farms where the damage and the impact has been significant, and the mental health pressures are real as well,” he added.
Harris said he is currently “working with colleagues in government to try and finalise a tillage scheme”.
Retaining the nitrates derogation
Harris told Agriland he is “making sure Ireland is ready to retain the nitrates derogation.
“That is something we must retain, and Fine Gael in government are very committed to doing that,” he added.
The Taoiseach said: “We considered a proposal at cabinet this week in relation to the nitrates derogation. It’s such an important part of our economic model and I think it needs to be seen as such.
“We need to be able to show progress from a trend point of view in terms of water quality. Once we can do that, Europe also then needs to understand that the nitrates derogation is vital.
“So we have an obligation to show progress on water, they have an obligation to show common sense and a reasonable approach,” the Taoiseach explained.
“We to intend to convene a taskforce that would work on how Ireland nationally plans. We need to pull everybody together; farmer rep bodies, industry, government agencies.
“This needs to be a team Ireland in terms of the national derogation because it does mean that much.
The Taoiseach said: “It will matter who we elect to the European Parliament, it will matter who are our voices at a European level, because we do need strong voices that get it, in terms of the importance of this to the agri-food sector, to the Irish economy, to farming in general.
New partnership with farmers
Fine Gael’s National Agricultural, Food, and Rural Development Forum (NAFRD) today presented an Taoiseach Simon Harris with a plan to create a new partnership with farmers for his consideration.
Speaking at the launch of the report, the Taoiseach Simon Harris said: “Fine Gael is the party of farmers.
“This party values the essential role farmers play in our economy and our society. We want to work with the farming community to address the challenges ahead and this policy charts a pathway forward.”
Minister of state at the Department of Agriculture, Martin Heydon T.D. said: “The agri-food sector employs over 170,000 people, making an enormous economic and social contribution to rural and coastal communities.
“Farmers the length and breadth of Ireland took time to come to NAFRD events and share their views on the future of agriculture and rural Ireland.
“Fine Gael has been listening and I want to thank the forum for putting together this report, which contains a number of significant recommendations.
“I look forward to reviewing them and teasing through them in the time ahead,” Minister Heydon added.