Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said his party, Fianna Fáil is committed to providing “urgent assistance” to farmers towards acting on climate change.
Speaking at the party’s Árd Fheis today in Dublin (Saturday, April 13), Martin told those attending that “no community is being hit harder by climate change than our farmers and the wider agrifood industry.
On this, Martin said “they are not only our largest indigenous industry, they are also custodians of our nature and our food security.
The Tánaiste went on to describe the recent weather conditions that have impacted farming across the island, explaining the “extreme weather changes” are a “direct impact of climate change”.
Martin said: “Fianna Fáil understands that reconciling both food security and action on climate change is a defining challenge of our time, and we have to support farmers in this.
“We are putting in place urgent assistance, but more importantly we will deliver longer-term support.
“We need our farming community. We need sustainable food production,” Martin added.
Through “new technologies, direct aid to farmers and real partnership for change,” the Tánaiste said this was “Fianna Fáil’s commitment to secure the future for Irish farming and food production”.
Martin made this statement following the announcement earlier today by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue of a of a €100/ha support for tillage farmers who plant in 2024.
Minister McConalogue said: “I want to help tillage farmers have the confidence to plant in 2024, so I am committing that I will find a mechanism to support any farmer that puts seed in the soil this year.
“Tillage farmers are fearful, unsure of what or when it will be possible to plant their crops and what it will be possible to yield, as the weather continues to impact.
“Fianna Fáil is absolutely committed to increasing our tillage area and despite the restraints of my existing budget I am committing to deliver €100/ha for tillage farmers who plant field crops in 2024,” he added.