Outgoing Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has said that he is proud of the progress that has been made across the farming sectors during his time in office.

“For example, we have increased the ewe payment from €10 to €25, we’ve surpassed commitment to deliver €200/per suckler cow last time around, we have delivered €225.

“We strongly supported the dairy sector, with an absolute commitment to maintaining the nitrates derogation, we introduced the dairy beef scheme, now doubled to €40 euro per calf.

“There’s 40 new items in TAMS including the 70% rate for nutrient importation grant and 60% for all nutrient storage; that one will come in from the start of next year,” he said.

He claimed that support to the tillage sector was up “over 500%” compared to when he took over the office.

“The Tillage Incentive Scheme brought some extra land in, some of which has been held,” he said.

If re-elected to Government, he said his party would commit to delivering €350 per suckler cow, €100 per dairy beef calf and an increase in sheep payments to €35 per sheep per year.

“For the tillage sector, we’re committing to deliver €60 million a year every year for five years, in line with the future of tillage report, to implement that and put a plan in place to underpin the sector.

“I think the track record we have of delivering in government, delivering on the commitments made last time around, should give farmers the confidence that we have the credibility now to go ahead and deliver on these,” he said.

I’ve been the farmers’ voice, says Minister

“As somebody who grew up in a family farm and who farmed for a while myself, I’ve seen my role as the minister over the last four and a half years is to be the farmer’s voice, to be the farmer in the Department of Agriculture, leading it out,” says Charlie McConalogue.

“Everything I’ve done and every service we’re providing, I’ve been looking at it from the point of view of trying to serve farmers better. In fairness in terms of the team of officials, that’s their objective too. It’s a constant piece of work.

“It’s been a great honour to lead the Department and to seek to deliver in every way possible for the farming sector. I’m now putting forward what I believe is an ambitious manifesto for the Fianna Fáil party to seek a mandate to continue with that work. The Taoiseach told the IFA that we would like to continue to have the Department of Agriculture too.

“Bringing young farmers into agriculture and into our food sector has to be at the core of agriculture policy, everything has to revolve around that. That’s why I established the Commission on Generational Renewal, and commit in our manifesto to having a retirement scheme as part of that infrastructure.”