IFA president Joe Healy has stood before the Oireachtais Committee on Health to discuss amendments to the Fair Deal scheme. Measures contained in the draft bill prepared by Government were also outlined by Department of Health officials.
Healy said: “The IFA supports the Nursing Home Support Scheme and recognises the important role of the scheme in providing financial support and security for people going into long-term nursing home care, as well as their families.”
It is vital that the future viability of family farms is protected
He outlined that the scheme operates under the principle of the ability to pay and said that a key concern for the IFA since the introduction of the scheme has been the potentially uncapped liability on the farm business asset.
“Farm business assets are productive assets and are required to generate income - they are not a measure of additional ability to pay,” he said.
“Huge uncertainty and anxiety has been created for family farms, with fear that the viability of the farm will be undermined or lost while attempting to meet the costs of care. This led to the introduction of a three-year cap on farm business assets in circumstances of sudden illness. It is vital that the future viability of family farms is protected.”
IFA proposals
The IFA is proposing to extend the three-year cap to farm business assets, where:
The farmer, partner or spouse, or a family successor, has worked a substantial part of the working day on the farm for three out of the previous five years, prior to the person receiving care.A family successor is appointed and commits to continue on a consistent and regular basis to apply a substantial part of his or her working day to farming for a period of not less than six years.
IFA-proposed eligibility criteria for the three-year cap:
The farm is being farmed on a commercial basis for three out of the five years prior to the person receiving care, by either the farmer, partner or spouse, family successor or leasee. The farm is farmed on a commercial basis for at least six years from that date the person receives care by either the farmer, partner or spouse, family successor or leasee. Read more
Budget 2020: the changes that will affect farmers
Listen: budget focus on BEAM 2 and earned income tax for IFA
IFA president Joe Healy has stood before the Oireachtais Committee on Health to discuss amendments to the Fair Deal scheme. Measures contained in the draft bill prepared by Government were also outlined by Department of Health officials.
Healy said: “The IFA supports the Nursing Home Support Scheme and recognises the important role of the scheme in providing financial support and security for people going into long-term nursing home care, as well as their families.”
It is vital that the future viability of family farms is protected
He outlined that the scheme operates under the principle of the ability to pay and said that a key concern for the IFA since the introduction of the scheme has been the potentially uncapped liability on the farm business asset.
“Farm business assets are productive assets and are required to generate income - they are not a measure of additional ability to pay,” he said.
“Huge uncertainty and anxiety has been created for family farms, with fear that the viability of the farm will be undermined or lost while attempting to meet the costs of care. This led to the introduction of a three-year cap on farm business assets in circumstances of sudden illness. It is vital that the future viability of family farms is protected.”
IFA proposals
The IFA is proposing to extend the three-year cap to farm business assets, where:
The farmer, partner or spouse, or a family successor, has worked a substantial part of the working day on the farm for three out of the previous five years, prior to the person receiving care.A family successor is appointed and commits to continue on a consistent and regular basis to apply a substantial part of his or her working day to farming for a period of not less than six years. IFA-proposed eligibility criteria for the three-year cap:
The farm is being farmed on a commercial basis for three out of the five years prior to the person receiving care, by either the farmer, partner or spouse, family successor or leasee. The farm is farmed on a commercial basis for at least six years from that date the person receives care by either the farmer, partner or spouse, family successor or leasee. Read more
Budget 2020: the changes that will affect farmers
Listen: budget focus on BEAM 2 and earned income tax for IFA
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