Positions appear to be aligning to deliver a reform of the nursing home charges applicable to farmland and other business productive assets by the end of this year.

IFA farm business chair Maura Canning told the Irish Farmers Journal that this week’s media reports of advice by the Attorney General that the Government should ensure any changes treat farmers and other small business owners in the same way in line with the association’s position and the Programme for Government.

The IFA is expected to meet Minister for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly in the coming weeks to clarify the details of a recent Government commitment to introduce changes to the scheme in the next budget.

ICMSA president John Comer renewed calls for reform of the scheme’s 7.5% annual charge this week: “There’s very little point in talking about supporting farm families and then introducing schemes that will have the effect of wiping out the family farm.”

Legal query: farm at risk from the Fair Deal Scheme

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Fair Deal reform moving closer

The promise "to remove discrimination against small business and family farms under the Fair Deal Nursing Home Scheme" under the Programme for Government remains on track for this year.