Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris confirmed today (Wednesday 30 April) that the fuel subsidy scheme is due to open “as soon as next Tuesday” 4 May.
The Tánaiste told the Dáil today that the Government “did not wait to act” to introduce measures to cut the costs of petrol and green diesel.
Harris noted that the government “provided what is considered the largest or second largest package of support in the European Union.”
The Tánaiste said the government had gone beyond what was allowed under energy tax directives to cut (costs) further.
This comes a day after the government finally announced details 100 million euros Fuel subsidy plans for farmers, contractors and fishermen.
The payments will cover the months from March until the end of July, which “coincides with peak fuel use on farms.”
According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), green diesel rose from around €0.97/litre in late February to €1.80/litre in early April this year.
Ireland’s “all-in” scheme offers a rebate of around 20 cents for every liter of green diesel used, based on verified fuel consumption in 2025.
“I’ve certainly heard welcome words for these schemes.”
“Farmers and their representative bodies said the schemes would help and make a difference,” Harris stated.
The Tánaiste also told the Dáil that the Treasury’s chief economist believed the package presented would “not only benefit farmers, fishermen, transport workers and people at the pumps, but will also curb inflation by around 0.6% per month”.
He said the measures would be felt “in the local supermarket or store as they deal with the cost of living”.
Eligibility
As reported Agriland Yesterday (Thursday, April 29), eligibility for the Farm and Forestry Contractors Program will be determined by:
- Use of green diesel (on-road diesel use is not eligible);
- The use of green diesel must be for the primary production of agricultural products on the farm (including forestry);
- Farmers and plantation or forestry contractors are eligible to apply.
Nearly 120,000 farmers and 1,500 full-time agricultural contractors are expected to be eligible to apply for the scheme.
The DAFM stressed that it “will not discriminate between full-time or part-time agricultural contractors – once agricultural contractor eligibility is met, they can apply.”
Compliance with VAT registration
DAFM also said Agriland That farmers will no You must be registered for VAT to access the system.
However, in the case of agricultural contractors, they will have to register for VAT and provide a tax clearance certificate (available through Revenue).
