Martin Heydon
Kildare South · Fine Gael · Ireland
“In the time allotted to us, I would say we will not be able to cover everything in CAP. To take the last point first, the budget is everything. While it is not part of my negotiations as chair of the AGRIFISH Council, it is a key focus of the Irish Presidency.”
“I thank the Deputy for raising this important point. A key focus of Food Vision 2030, the shared stakeholder-led strategy for the agrifood sector, is to grow the value of Irish agrifood exports in international markets, which, as I outlined earlier, we have been very successful at in recent years.”
“All producers selling raw milk must register with my Department and are subject to risk-based official controls that include inspection, audit and sampling.”
“Whether it is farmers with particular issues that are leading to environmental issues or issues with structures that need to be replaced, we are very lucky to have capital support in agriculture. I really believe in our TAMS structure.”
“I was delighted to be able to introduce the tillage sustainability support scheme earlier this year. I have not been found wanting in standing up and supporting a tillage sector that has been under pressure in recent times. The same applies to horticulture.”
“Following the publication of the report, I wrote to the chairperson of the board on 22 June 2026, requesting that the board develop a timely and effective action plan to address the recommendations in the report, and I will be seeking regular updates on its progress. I want to see these recommendations implemented and progressed.”
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“Local authorities retain responsibility for all operational implementation and enforcement matters. A high level stakeholder group was established last year to consider policy and legislative matters, specifically the Control of Dogs Acts and the Dog Breeding Establishments Act. The stakeholder group's remit includes considering the need for legislative change. This requires in-depth analysis and consultation to ensure that amendments are not just robust, fit for purpose and implementable but also deliver the best outcome for communities.”
“I am committed to the policy that animal welfare standards are vigorously applied in a fair and even-handed manner. All reports of alleged animal neglect or cruelty are investigated and appropriate action is taken. My Department, and authorised officers appointed under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, including, but not limited to, An Garda Síochána, customs agents and local authorities, undertake appropriate enforcement action, where breaches or shortcomings are identified. My Department keeps the Act under review in light of key developments in the area of animal welfare, the legislative environment more generally and having regard to the practical lessons learned from operating the Act. Policy and legislative responsibility for dog breeding establishments transferred to my Department on 1 August 2025.”
“I thank the Deputy. Neglect of, or causing unnecessary suffering to, animals is not acceptable in our society in any circumstances. The programme for Government places a positive emphasis on animal welfare and specifically commits to the continued robust enforcement of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, which provides a modern framework for regulating and applying standards in the area of animal health and welfare. In my first term as a TD between 2011 and 2016, I was a member of the agriculture committee. I remember the many weeks of work on that comprehensive legislation. It brought together so many historical items of legislation under one Act. My Department has lead responsibility within the Government for animal welfare and takes the matter of animal welfare most seriously.”
“In the review afterwards of how they were handheld and supported through that process of dealing with a solicitor, a tax adviser, a counsellor, consultants and everybody else, it emerged the fear they had beforehand was greatly lifted when they spoke to the tax adviser. They realised it would be terrible to have a crisis where somebody drops dead all of a sudden and there is no plan in place. Taxwise, it would possibly be much worse than if a set date had been picked to do the transfer when everybody is trained, we know what people's qualifications are and what their provision for the future is as well. It is about taking the fear out of this and looking at ways we can support that conversation to happen. I do not believe everybody is going to sit around for three years for the opportunity of one grant.”
“Very clearly there is not the bandwidth in a national budget to deliver very big succession schemes that would run to hundreds of millions of euro but the design of the next CAP is already under way, as is the fighting over the multi-annual financial framework or the overall budget for that area. I spoke earlier about how I funded a locally-led initiative in Mayo in my previous role as a Minister of State. The Béal Átha na Muice Project, which was based out of Swinford, identified farm families and 30 local families signed up to this scheme, 15 of which had no succession plan in place at all.”
“As for the impediments to generational renewal, there are challenges, in that our next generation is better educated than ever before and people have vastly more opportunities in a country with full employment to generate a good income from off-farm working that may involve fewer hours and less hard work, but there are an awful lot of farmers who want to farm in this area and we have to support them in that transition.”
“Yes, and that why we established the interdepartmental group within my Department on its implementation. The implementation piece of this report is so important because ultimately, it is about clear action. Some of these measures require the structure of the next CAP post 2027 to be able to implement. A national budget is not going to deliver the type of succession scheme that would previously always have been in the structure of a CAP. That is not to say there are not a lot of structural things that can be done now. As I said, the commission report recognises families still have these discussions.”
“This group will continue this collaborative approach and will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies. Attracting the next generation of farmers is critical to ensure the agrifood sector remains vibrant and sustainable into the future and the analysis provided by the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming ensures we have a comprehensive, well-considered foundation for future policy on generational renewal. In my engagement with Commissioner Hansen of DG AGRI, he took a great interest in our report. He wanted to wait to publish his own policy until he saw our point of view and it is an area he has a huge passion for.”
“The Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming was established to examine these issues. In the course of this work a public consultation was carried out. As part of this consultation, 31 written submissions were received and the commission subsequently met a number of stakeholders, including the main farming organisations. Further details of the consultation can be found in the published report, which runs to 180 pages. 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. An implementation group within my Department will carefully consider these recommendations.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for raising a critical issue for the future of our sector. The programme for Government prioritises "Supporting inter-generational farm succession". Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agrifood sector, states generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agrifood sector and of rural Ireland. There are 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 there are many factors that impact farmers’ decisions.”
“We produce it more efficiently here. We export 90% of the food and drink we produce. That is of a highly integrated nature. The high-protein, nutrient-dense rich food is of great value and feeds millions of our population.”
“I meet individuals from Talamh Beo at different events. It has a role to play. We need to get a handle on why Ireland is one of the most food secure nations in the world according to key metrics. It is not because we produce every bit of food that is consumed on the island; it is because of the highly integrated nature of our food supply system around the world. It means from an environmental perspective, food should be produced where it can be produced most efficiently. If we look at our livestock system, we can see that our beef, sheep and dairy produce are part of a pasture-based system. It is a much better system for that produce to be raised with our livestock animals like cows and sheep out on grass for the vast majority of the year, looking at the sky, eating green grass and not in a shed or an intensive system.”
“Ireland’s food security is underpinned by strong national and EU frameworks, continuous policy integration under Food Vision 2030 and targeted actions to strengthen local production, reduce food poverty and build a sustainable and resilient food system.”
“To achieve these ambitions, we continue to support farmers through the €9.8 billion CAP strategic plan, which helps fund the transition to more sustainable practices while maintaining farm incomes. Environmental measures include the agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, increased funding for organic farming and the suckler carbon efficiency programme, SCEP, which is helping farmers to improve carbon efficiency in livestock production. My Department participated alongside other Departments in the food poverty working group and developed the 2024 action plan on food poverty, a cross-sectoral response to that issue.”
“This includes supporting the work of the European food security crisis preparedness and response mechanism, EFSCM, which monitors and responds to threats to EU food security and supply. Ireland already has an integrated national framework for food systems sustainability. Food Vision 2030 was developed adopting a food systems approach with an ambition for Ireland to be a world leader in sustainable food systems and sets out four high-level interlinked missions for the sector to work towards. Each of these interlinked missions has ambitious goals rooted in a strongly practical approach to what needs to be achieved for future environmental, economic and social sustainability.”
“Ongoing geopolitical tensions have meant that food security is increasingly at the forefront of the political agenda both at EU and global level. Ireland is among the most food secure countries in the world. As part of the EU Single Market and the Common Agricultural Policy, Ireland benefits from robust mechanisms that underpin food security across Europe. There is a series of instruments embedded in the EU policy framework to ensure food security. Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems, and EU publication, sets out actions in the areas of security, stability and sustainability. The EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council of Ministers, of which I am a member, will continue to focus on these core areas.”
“We will find them earlier. We will stop those reactors being undetected, going out and seeding the diseases out further. By doing that, fewer farmers will be impacted. I will keep a close eye on the compensation rates and where they are at-----”
“I cannot stress any further that I am absolutely aware of the financial impact on farm families who have continuous reactors, whose herds are locked up and all of the strain that brings. That is why the additional money I get and the significant resources I now have must go into tackling the spread of the disease. It is pivotal. I do not want future generations of families to go through that same stress, financial turmoil and everything that goes with it. This action plan, which is now fully funded, is about addressing the key causes of the spread of that disease and targeting the money at spaces that will stop the spread of the disease, nip it in the bud and get the disease back under an element of control. To be successful, that plan means we need to find additional reactors next year and the year after, and that is what we will do.”
“In six or seven years, the spend has gone from €37.5 million to €157 million. We have to crack this nut once and for all. I am determined to lay the foundation, during my time in this role, so that we get on top of this disease and get back to being able to talk about eradication in a clear way. We have been talking about generational renewal. One of the key things for generational renewal is being able to give certainty for the future. If we can get on top of bovine TB, I believe our action plan, properly funded and resourced now and with the buy-in of all sides, will deliver in the medium and long term.”
“I thank Deputy Burke for raising this point. I know it is a big issue in County Cork, as it is throughout the country. The income supplement scheme he referenced has been reviewed and there have been increases in thresholds across the hardship grant, depopulation grant and others. At the heart of all of these grants and supports is the fact that we have a disease that is wreaking havoc and causing great stress and strain to our farming families, and a huge financial strain to my budget. I could think of so many better ways of spending €157 million next year supporting our farmers across a whole host of areas than having that money drained. Deputy Cleere outlined that, in 2019, the total spend from my Department's budget on the eradication of bovine TB was just €37.5 million. Think about that.”
“That is why all of the additional resources I am getting have to be focused on stopping the spread of the disease, nipping it in the bud, addressing the key causes of the spread of this disease, supporting farmers with increased biosecurity measures, investing more heavily in the wildlife response - one of the five key pillars - and having blood testing layered on high-risk herds. All of the key measures layered on one another give us a great opportunity to, once and for all, get on top of this disease, which is a very dynamic one in how it is acting at present, and get it back to a point where it is under control and going in a downward trajectory.”
“I am working with the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, on farmer mental health and well-being. This really is a key stressor and when somebody can have a significant breakdown. We want to support farmers through that journey. As the senior Minister with responsibility for the approach to bovine TB, the best way I can do that is give light at the end of the tunnel to those farmers who are in that cycle of continuous reactors and follow-up tests to show them there is a clear pathway out of this; and for those 94% of herds not affected, to give them a reassurance they have a good chance of avoiding being affected in the future.”
“It is true that the new action plan will, if it is working, see an increase in the number of reactors next year, not necessarily the number of herds impacted. We have too many residual reactors going undetected and seeding the disease by being sold on to other farms. With increased gamma interferon testing - the blood testing - layered on in high-risk herds, we will identify more of those reactors earlier. The modelling predicts 62,000 reactors next year. That is why we need €157 million to address that. In two years' time, the reactor levels should plateau and we should see them coming down.”
“As part of the work of the TB forum, which has done extensive work down the years, a dedicated financial working group was established to review the financial modelling of various elements of the bovine TB eradication programme. Agreement was reached within the group in the past two years and there were rate enhancements to the income supplements scheme, the hardship grant and the depopulation grant, as well as enhanced ceilings for selected animals being removed as part of the on-farm market valuation scheme. In addition, the financial working group also expanded the eligibility criteria under the income supplement and hardship grant schemes. The figures outlined by the Deputy are very stark, though.”
“The primary support scheme is the on-farm market valuation scheme, and this is augmented by the income supplement scheme, the depopulation grant scheme and the hardship grant scheme. The new plan looks to direct investment to the key drivers of the disease and to stop its spread. Compensation is absolutely critical so that farmers can continue with their livelihoods, but I must direct the new money to reducing or stamping out this disease. We will see a spike in the first two years and a downward trend thereafter. That will allow me to free up money in the budget for other areas.”
“This additional funding is vital in addressing the disease and I am confident that it will help to drive down bovine TB levels in the coming years. I published and got agreement on the bovine TB action plan, addressing bovine TB in Ireland, on 9 September. I do not believe I would have secured the extra €85 million for a business case that proposed business as usual. I had to take a new approach. This is the biggest step change in the history of the State in how we address bovine TB. The action plan follows extensive discussions with stakeholders in recent months. It is based on scientific research and veterinary expertise. My Department provides a range of financial supports that focus on compensating farmers for both direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of a bovine TB outbreak on the farm.”
“Bovine TB is an ongoing challenge for Irish farmers. I am acutely aware of the emotional and financial impacts of bovine TB on farmers, their families and rural Ireland. In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in bovine TB levels nationally, with over 6,000 farm families affected by a bovine TB outbreak in 2024, and herd incidence at 6.04%. The primary driver of the cost of the bovine TB programme is disease levels. In 2024, the bovine TB programme cost €100m, which was an increase of 35% on 2023. For this year up to 30 September, just under €80 million has been spent on the TB programme. I secured an increased allocation of €85 million for bovine TB in budget 2026, providing a total budget of €157 million.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”