Forestry
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon recently made clarifications on payment schemes for broadleaf plantations.
Schemes
Minister Heydon has announced that balancing payments in respect of 2025 have started to issue to farmers participating in the ACRES.
Beef
Minister Heydon has said that his department will continue to engage on the roll-out of changes under the TB Action Plan following criticism.
Minister Martin Heydon, has announced that applications for the 2026 Reconstitution Scheme for Windblown Forests may now be made.
Minister Heydon has announced a new €6 million on-farm badger biosecurity scheme as part of the new TB Action Plan.
Rural Life
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Marine Martin Heydon has announced the opening of the 2026 Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme.
Agri-Business
The department has said that fees levied on veterinary practices is a matter for the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI).
Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister Martin Heydon, and representatives of the farm contractor sector have agreed to meet again on fuel costs.
The ICMSA has said it is "disappointed" that the new proposed actions on TB "only set out rules for farmers".
Sheep
Minister Martin Heydon has announced the opening for applications of the 2026 National Sheep Welfare Scheme (NSWS).
Minister Martin Heydon has told a meeting of EU agriculture ministers that EU laws on nitrates, habitats and nature should be simplified.
Minister Martin Heydon has said he will support the suspension of the CBAM on fertiliser at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers today.
Pig/Poultry
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon said he hopes to lift bird flu-related restrictions “in coming weeks”.
Minister Martin Heydon said government departments “have no role" in regulating salary scales for those working in private vet practices.
Veterinary Ireland, the body representing vets in Ireland, has called for a proposed increase in regulatory fees to be reduced.
Tillage
Minister Heydon has announced the start of payments totalling €29.1 million under the new National Tillage Sustainability Support Scheme.
Minister Heydon is said to have provided a "detailed analysis" of the impact of the Middle East conflict on costs in the agriculture sector.
Francie Gorman has said he has written to the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance calling for a suspension of the Carbon Tax on green diesel.
The Irish Co-Operative Organisation Society (ICOS) has called for a "comprehensive support package" to reduce higher fuel and energy costs.
Agri Politics
A total of 17 of the country’s regional government offices have vacancies at present, with 54 positions unfilled.
Seattle, San Francisco and Sacramento are on the itinerary for Minister Martin Heydon's St. Patrick’s Day visit to the United States.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said his attention has turned to monitoring potential market impacts of the EU-Mercosur deal.
A raft of new actions to curtail the spread of TB are set to be introduced next month, Minister Martin Heydon has indicated.
