Progress on Fair Deal important for Tipperary farm families

Progress on the Fair Deal Scheme is important for farm families who have been waiting nearly five years for the Government to make good on a commitment to remove discrimination against family farms and small business, according to IFA president Joe Healy.

“It has been a long road and I want to acknowledge the work of Minister of State for Older People Jim Daly in finally making this happen. It is important for farm families whose farm businesses are being made unviable for the next generation,” he said.

IFA farm family chair Caroline Farrell said the Government must honour their commitment and retrospectively apply the three-year cap to July 2018 when it was approved by Cabinet.

“I am pleased to see that we have made progress on this very important issue for farm families. It is putting a strain on many families who don’t know where they stand. Once the details are announced today, Minister Daly must move without delay to get it in place and operational,” she said.

Ms Farrell said that the Heads of Bill must guarantee that the three-year cap also applies to farms that are currently leased, but where a family successor gives a verified commitment that they would continue to farm the asset, for a period of six years.