Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon is proposing to use leftover funds from the Fuel Income Support Scheme for fertiliser supports.

Pressure has been mounting on the minister to deliver a support scheme for farmers since the €540 million EU Fertiliser Action Plan was approved by member states in July.

Ireland has been allocated almost €15.4 million in emergency assistance which can be made available to farmers.

As part of the package member states are able to complement the EU support up to 200% using national funds.

France has already announced their support scheme with farmers being offered aid of €50-70 a tonne on fertiliser purchases from June 1 to the end of September.

Fertiliser

Minister Heydon said the government had allocated €100 million fuel support package for farmers, contractors and fishers.

Total payments under the Fuel Income Support Scheme for farmers and contractors, which had a budget of €85 million, are expected to amount to €27 million.

"Because that wasn't all drawn down, I have put forward proposals how I would like to spend the remainder of that money in supporting our farmers in terms of there's a fertiliser support that has been granted by the commission that we can top up to 200%.

"That's something I would like to do with that remaining money. That's part of my ongoing budget negotiations right now," he said.

Minister Heydon maintained that he has "clear plans as to how I would like to support our agriculture sector".

"If you think of what the challenges that have been caused in our food production system from the impacts of the war in the Middle East, fuel is one, fertiliser cost is another, and that's an area I would like to support our farmers with."

On Friday (August 28), the government won a Dáil vote to extend temporary excise cuts on fuel until October 31.

The temporary measures will be restored on a gradual and phased basis from November 1 until the end of February.

However, diesel prices at the pumps are continuing to climb towards €2/L.

Independent Ireland leader Michael Collins told Tánaiste Simon Harris that farmers are “furious” that the fuel rebate scheme will not be extended and are “talking about protesting”.

Meanwhile, the Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) is seeking an "urgent" meeting with Minister Heydon after green diesel prices hit a peak for the year last month.

According to the FCI, the monthly average of green diesel in August was €1.40/L, including VAT, which represents a 49% increase compared to the average price in February 2026 which stood at 94c/L before the onset of war between the US and Iran.

Fuel

Minster Heydon said that farmers and farm contractors have been supported by the government's "fuel intervention".

"I think everybody in the sector would recognise we established a new scheme and got it paid out within four to four and a half months, which is a very significant thing to do and to be able to support them.

"Farmers also use white diesel and the ongoing reduction in the excise levies and the NORA levies, that matters to farmers as well, as it does its impact on green diesel.

"And we continue to stand ready to support all facets of society," he said.

The Minister said there was "a broader point" for general consumers too.

"The reason we've had direct interventions earlier this year around the cost of green diesel for our farmers and our food production system no more than supporting our hauliers is that if you allow those costs go unchecked, it has an inflationary impact on the price of food for general consumers.

"So it is in everyone's interest that we support that production when they get hit with times of high spikes in energy costs".

Protests

When asked if the government was concerned about further fuel protests, Minister Heydon said: "We're in a democracy and people have a right to have their voice heard and make points made".

"The government doesn't make decisions based on fears [of further demonstrations]. We do what's the right thing for the country.

"There is a strong rationale around continuing those reductions on the excise levies on white diesel and on petrol due to the fact that it's stopping the increase of inflation by 0.6% a month.

"Those interventions benefit every member of the state in supporting our farmers and our agri-food sector at that time," he said.

Minister Heydon pointed to the pressure on fodder supplies caused by the drought.

"Imagine if we hadn't supported our farm contractors in making that first cut of silage in the harvest early in the year when energy prices were so high?

"It's having that buffer in stock now that's actually so, so important. So it just means the interventions we've done has been right.

"It isn't a blank cheque and you make decisions around interventions like that, it is taxpayers' money that's ultimately being used out of the overall exchequer and our job in government is to manage that as prudently as possible," he said.

Minister Heydon added: "Our hope and desire very much is that a peaceful solution is found that war in the Middle East that would allow more normal trading activity to happen and energy prices return to a more normal level".