47. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide an update on progress towards the Food Vision 2030 target of increasing the national tillage area to 400,000 hectares by 2030; if Ireland is on track to reach its targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49544/26]

69. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the progress made in implementing the twenty-eight recommendations of the Food Vision Tillage Group Report; the actions completed to date; the timeline for implementing the remaining recommendations to support the expansion of the tillage sector towards the Climate Action Plan target of 400,000 hectares by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52201/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 47 and 69 together.

The report of the Food Vision Tillage Group sets out the roadmap for the sustainable growth and development of the tillage sector. Implementation of the recommendations is ongoing, with progress reviewed regularly by the Food Vision Tillage Group. The Group most recently met on 28 May, when officials from my Department, Bord Bia and other industry stakeholders provided updates on progress.

Data from the 2026 Basic Income Support for Sustainability Scheme (BISS) indicates the area under tillage crops (cereals, maize, OSR, protein crops and beet) at 331,223ha, representing a decrease of approximately 2% compared with 2025. Despite this decline, the overall tillage area has remained broadly stable in recent years, increasing by almost 18,000ha, or approximately 5.7%, since 2020.

Considerable work has been done to achieve greater recognition of the sustainability of Irish grain, including the development of a tillage module for AgNav to allow growers to showcase the low-carbon footprint of Irish grain and ongoing work to develop a Pilot Sustainability Assurance Scheme for tillage aligned with Origin Green. Together, these initiatives will enable growers to provide tangible sustainability outputs that demonstrate the low-carbon credentials of Irish grain, strengthening market differentiation and supporting access to premium markets.

Work has also progressed to secure new and expanded value-added opportunities for Irish grain through investment in pilot-scale production facilities, including the National Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Oak Park, which opened in May 2025, and the announcement in January 2026 of an Enterprise Ireland scheme to support the establishment of new flour milling projects in Ireland.

In addition to work undertaken to develop new value-added opportunities, substantial work has also been undertaken across a range of other key themes identified in the Food Vision Tillage Group report, including the availability of and access to land, competitiveness and efficiency, environmental sustainability, and investment in research.

My Department will continue to work closely with stakeholders to advance implementation of the report's recommendations, recognising that their successful delivery requires ongoing collaboration and commitment from many stakeholders across the sector.

In further recognition of the sector’s importance, my Department is providing €50 million in support to the tillage sector in 2026 through the Protein Aid Scheme, the Straw Incorporation Measure and the National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme.

More recently, in response to the exceptional pressure arising from the sudden increase in the cost of Marked Gas Oil (MGO), the Government allocated €100 million to provide meaningful income support for farmers, contractors and fishers.

The Farming for Water EIP has a budget of €60 million to support targeted on-farm additional measures to improve water quality, including establishment of cover crops. The tillage sector is also being supported under other schemes, including the Tillage Capital Investment Scheme, ACRES and the Organic Farming Scheme.

My Department remains committed to working closely with the tillage sector in implementing the actions of the Food Vision Tillage Group report, with a view to ensuring the sector's long-term sustainability and creating the conditions to support an increase in the area under tillage in the years ahead.