IFA farm family and social affairs chair Caroline Farrell has expressed her frustration at the continued delays amending the legislation to introduce a three-year cap on farm business assets under the Fair Deal scheme where a family successor continues to operate the farm for six years.

“I appreciate the complexity and operational issues that need to be addressed in the legislation to give full and proper effect to the policy changes,” Farrell said.

“However, Minister Daly gave assurance during the summer that the amendments would be progressed in the Oireachtas in the autumn session. Every week, the introduction of the cap is delayed the viability of family farms are being reduced.

“We are now in 2019, and this still has not progressed,” she said.

Three-year cap

Farrell said the IFA had stressed that the three-year cap must also apply to farm business that were currently leased but where a family successor was prepared to verify commitment that they would continue to farm the asset for a period of six years. “Many farmers have entered long-term leases in recent years encouraged by Government policy and the tax reliefs available,” she said.