Wexford Tillage Farmers in Crisis

North Wexford Deputy Fionntáin O Suilleabháin has raised alarm in the Dáil over the crisis facing Ireland’s tillage farmers calling for immediate government intervention to prevent the collapse of the sector. The Deputy highlighted the immense financial strain on farmers driven by skyrocketing input costs including a threefold increase in fertilizer prices since the Ukraine war. "The rising costs of fertilizer, diesel and machinery are pushing farmers to the brink," O Suilleabháin stated, emphasizing the need for a substantial increase in area-based payments. He is calling for payments to be raised from €40 per acre to at least €100 per acre, or €250 per hectare, to better support farmers struggling to survive. O Suilleabháin also criticized the government's failure to adequately support the Irish grain industry, with much of the country's grain now imported—often substandard and genetically modified. "We are sacrificing our agricultural independence," he warned The Deputy further voiced concerns about the long-term risks to food security and the future of young farmers, sharing the story of a local farmer’s son, Tomás Kenny, who hopes to carry on the family farm. "Can we guarantee a viable future for young farmers?" he asked. Concluding his speech, O Suilleabháin urged the government to act swiftly, saying, "If we don’t act now, we’ll be driving the final nail into the coffin of Irish farming." The call for a proper tillage incentive scheme has never been more urgent.