367. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of increasing the tillage support scheme to €150 per hectare for the first 100 hectares. [48422/26]

Funding of €30 million was allocated in budget 2026 for the tillage support scheme in recognition of the important role the tillage sector provides in the overall sustainability of the agri-food sector as a whole, and its continued contribution to carbon efficient farming at a time of increasing global challenges regarding competitiveness.

This scheme design provided for a degressive rate of payment to applicants who declared cereal and oilseed rape crops on their 2025 Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and other area-based application.

A maximum payable rate of €110 per hectare on the first 100 hectare, thereafter reducing on a digressive scale to a minimum payable rate of €50 per hectare on eligible area above 150 hectares as per table below.

Increasing the initial payable rate from €110 to €150 on the first 100 hectares and retaining all other digressive payment rates would cost an additional circa €10 million.