Relevant Matter
Public policy or programme
Public Policy Area
Agriculture
Period
1 May. 2026 to 31 Aug. 2026
Specific Details
Fuel Support Scheme
Intended results
To re-iterate concern at the proposed approach to re-imbursing farmers for marked gas oil use under the Fuel Income Support Scheme.
To highlight that, when the scheme was announced, Minister Heydon outlined that “the scheme will provide €20 million per month in supports, with funding directly linked to fuel usage last year to ensure those most impacted by the fuel price increase receive the greatest assistance".
To highlight that it now appears clear that the approach being taken will be a crude proportionate approach which assumes farmers and contractors use the same amount of fuel every month; as outlined in examples in support docs. There, as designed, the scheme will not achieve the objective of ensuring “those most impacted by the fuel price increase received the greatest assistance.”
To highlight that, before any meetings were held on this fuel support scheme, IFA outlined that an approach that ensured farmers were properly recompensed for usage in the March to July period should be taken. We also reiterated this at both subsequent meetings on the scheme.
To emphasise that the March to July period represents c. 42% of the total year in time. However, there are many farmers and agri-contractors whose usage in the Match to July period is two thirds of their total annual usage. In those cases they will receive about 12 cent/litre instead of the 20 cent/litre promised.
That while there is a need to ensure timely payments, seeking usage broken down even on a quarterly basis for heavy fuel users would not place a significant additional burden, and would ensure that the objective set out at the outset by the Minister – to ensure those most impacted receive the greatest assistance – would be achieved.
To ask the Department of Agriculture to take above into account and reconsider the current approach which assumes level usage across all months for both farmers and contractors.
Name of person primarily responsible for lobbying on this activity
Tadhg Buckley IFA Director of Policy and Chief Economist
Did any Designated Public Official(DPO) or former Designated Public Official(DPO) carry out lobbying activities on your behalf in relation to this return? You must include yourself, and answer Yes, if you are a current DPO or a DPO at any time in the past. (What is a Designated Public Official?)
No
Did you manage or direct a grassroots campaign?
No
Was this lobbying done on behalf of a client?
No
Lobbying activity
The following activities occurred for this specific Subject Matter Area.
Informal communication (2-5)
Designated public officials lobbied
The following DPOs were lobbied during this return period on this specific Subject Matter Area. These DPOs were involved in at least one of the Lobbying Activities listed above, but not necessarily all of them.
As returns are specific to a Subject Matter Area the above Lobbying Activities may be associated with multiple returns.
Barry Cassidy
Special Adviser (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Francis Morrin
Assistant Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)
Maria Dunne
Assistant Secretary General (Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine)