IFA representatives met Minister for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly to discuss the scheme this Wednesday.

IFA farm family chair Maura Canning told the Irish Farmers Journal the minister expected to receive legal advice on proposed changes by Christmas.

“There is ongoing engagement with the Office of the Attorney General on this matter,” a Department of Health spokesperson told the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Once the Attorney General’s final advice is received it will be considered by officials in the Department of Health with a view to setting out a policy and legal position regarding the treatment of farms and small business under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme.

"It is hoped that the legislative process to amend the Fair Deal scheme will commence in quarter one of 2018.”

Farm viability

Farmers entering a nursing home currently pay 7.5% of the value of their farm every year towards the cost of their care for the duration of their stay in the home, unless they have transferred it to the next generation at least five years earlier or meet restrictive sudden illness criteria. Many farming families in this situation say the income from the farm cannot cover the charges and the scheme threatens the viability of their farm.

Minister Daly has discussed a proposal to end the charges after three years for small business assets including farms in recent meetings with farm organisations, but Canning said uncertainty remained around the conditions applicable to the measure.

Read more

Fair Deal farm charges cap still on – ICMSA

Budget 2018: Fair Deal allocation to include ‘farm assets’ reform

Full coverage: Fair Deal scheme