The Land Mobility Service has waited 16 months for the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue to meet his promise to double funding for the service, Macra president John Keane has said.

At Marca’s National Conference in 2021, Keane said that along with increasing funding for 2022, the Minister committed to engaging with Macra and Teagasc to ensure the service is "robust for the future". However, on both counts Macra waits, Keane told the launch of the Land Mobility Service Report in Buswell's Hotel yesterday.

The service, Keane argued, needs more support in order to be embedded nationally. Already, the service has facilitated in excess of 962 arrangements, involving more than 75,000ac.

In 2021 Macra engaged with the Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue along with his advisors and officials about supporting the Land Mobility from CAP funding.

"At the time, the recommendation from officials and advisors was to seek additional exchequer funding as a more secure form of funding," Keane said.

"Some have asked me to have patience, to turn down the revs and that you don’t need to agitate the tank every-day. I think to have waited 16 months demonstrates at least a small ounce of patience," Keane said.

Funding

With increased funding the service would be able to streamline the service, increase staff, create an independent stakeholder group and conduct further research.

These were the key recommendations from the report for the future direction of the service.