Macra has slammed a proposal to cut spending in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) by €26 million next year.

As previously reported by Agriland, Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers has confirmed the levies to be applied to government departments following an overspend in education.

The minister said the government agreed that "additional funding of €646 million will be provided to the Department of Education and Youth in 2026".

To accomodate this, other departments have been asked to deliver a levy focusing on efficiencies and reforms which will total €446 million from 2027.

The proposed levy for DAFM's current expenditure is 1.3%, which means the department will have to identify savings of around €26 million for 2027.

Macra

Macra national president Josephine O’Neill, who is also a secondary school teacher, said she understood the importance of funding the education sector.

"However, it is reprehensible that agriculture and young farmers in particular will be sacrificed in favour of the Department of Education," she said.

Macra has warned that any reduction in funding would inevitably undermine critical supports for young farmers, including the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), installation aid, succession measures, environmental schemes and farm viability supports.

The farm organisation believes the proposal demonstrates "a serious disconnect between political rhetoric and reality".

"We have consistently called for financial supports for generational renewal.

"Only last year, we demanded the delivery of the report from the Commission on Generation Renewal. We welcomed its eventual delivery - but since then, nothing. No action, no supports, just another report gathering dust on a shelf.

"Whatever hope we had for the delivery of young farmer supports has now been dealt a fatal blow thanks to these cuts,” O’Neill said.

Easy target

The Macra president also warned that agriculture cannot continue to be treated as "an easy target" whenever budget pressures emerge.

O'Neill said the timing of the reports is particularly alarming given ongoing uncertainty around Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funding, mounting concern over Mercosur and sustained cost pressures across the sector.

"This is another kick in the teeth for young farmers - how can we support and encourage the future of farming when our Government continues to fail young farmers?" she added.

Macra is now calling on Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon and government to publicly reject any cuts to the DAFM budget.

Instead, the organisation urged them to commit to increased investment in young farmers, generational renewal and rural Ireland ahead of Budget 2027.