Cathal Byrne

To propose that funding must be provided to farmers for costs incurred in implementing biosecurity advice to reduce the interaction of wildlife with cattle.

To highlight that in 2019, €33.5m was allocated for a 10-year programme to enhance the Regional Veterinary Laboratory Network and associated services to farmers. It has been six years since the commitment was made, and no infrastructural development or enhancement of services to…

To propose that the VAT rate on vaccines and other critical on-farm medicines, where VAT is currently charged, must be reduced to the 0% rate. The current VAT rate is 23%; farmers spend over €40 million on vaccines annually. Reducing the rate to 0% would result in over €10…

To propose that the entire fallen animal disposal system must be reviewed, and the most efficient system that guarantees the collection of fallen animals from all farmers in the country at competitive rates must be provided. DAFM must subsidise the cost of collection if…

To propose that if the Department of Agriculture are serious about Animal Health Ireland's mandate to carry out disease eradication and disease control programmes for non-statutory diseases through a stakeholder lead model; it must make the resources available for the current…

To propose that Government should provide funding to directly support farmers in developing and implementing herd health plans, ensuring that antibiotic usage on farms is minimised and the most effective parasite control programme for the farm is employed.

To propose that, with BTV 3 and 12 circulating in the UK and Europe and new outbreaks of FMD across the EU, the Government must develop comprehensive plans for managing these diseases should they enter the country. These plans must include the extent of movement controls that…

Tillage Support Payment::To propose that a support payment of €250/ha must be announced in Budget 2026 for all cereal and oilseed rape crops grown for harvest in 2025.::Tillage Expansion and Sustainability Scheme (TESS)::To propose that the TESS Scheme is to incorporate €400/ha…

To propose that, to encourage farmers to grow protein crops such as peas, beans, lupins, and combi-crops, rates of up to €600/ha for beans, peas, and lupins should be offered, with a 50% discount for combi-crops.

To propose a labour cost support scheme specifically for horticulture, acknowledging the sector's unique challenges.::To propose a halting on the GEP roadmap for horticultural employers to prevent further disproportionate wage inflation.::To propose the immediate establishment…

To propose that funding for the scheme be increased to €15m (from €8.5million in 2024) to meet the demand for investment, evidenced by the oversubscription of the scheme in previous years, particularly last year.::To propose that consideration is given to the inclusion of…

To highlight that the Irish mushroom sector requires tailored capital support to adopt automation and robotics. This investment is crucial for enabling the Irish mushroom sector to remain competitive globally in the export-led, rural-based sector. Automation is the only viable…

To propose that a budget of €2M should be provided to initiate a pilot Spent Mushroom Compost scheme.

To propose that the baling assistance payment must be maintained to help alleviate the cost of straw for sectors reliant on its use, including mushroom composter, carrot growers (for overwintering) and livestock farmers.

To propose that the seed potato sector receives ringfenced financial support to encourage increased production.