Teagasc will host succession clinics based on transferring the family farm next week in Donegal, Mayo and Laois.

The series of clinics - to provide information on transferring the farm - kicked off this week with events held in Limerick, Cork and Wexford.

The clinics will be held on Tuesday 8 October at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel, Ballymacarry Lower, Co Donegal; on Wednesday 9 October at Knockranny House Hotel Westport, Co Mayo; and on Thursday 10 October at Abbeyleix Manor Hotel, Abbeyleix, Co Laois.

Over 200 farmers attended the clinic in Adare, Co Limerick, on Tuesday 1 October.

About the clinics

The clinics give farmers the opportunity to talk to experts on a one-to-one basis. Supporting each event will be a team of local solicitors, accountants and Teagasc advisers to answer queries in confidence.

Head of Teagasc farm management department Fintan Phelan said the clinics help succession planning by “putting you in contact with the key experts, so that you can have a good family meeting and achieve a successful outcome”.

There will also be mediators present at the events, a profession often used by farming families to develop a succession plan in difficult circumstances.

The Government will be represented by Citizens Information services, which provides a one-stop-shop of information on topics such as pensions, the fair deal scheme and your State entitlements.

Benefits

For those interested in forming Department of Agriculture-registered farm partnerships, Department staff will be in attendance.

Teagasc farm management specialist James McDonnell highlighted that attending the clinics can have many benefits financially.

“Spending time gathering information at events like this allow farming families to benefit from all the tax and CAP incentives and in many cases results in a significant tax reduction and improved cashflow for the new successor,” he said.

Farmers interested in attending are asked to book here or by contacting their local Teagasc office.