The Department of Agriculture has no plans to reopen the Early Retirement Scheme, which was suspended in 2008.

A spokesperson said the Department’s priorities have shifted in recent years to encouraging generational change for farmers. This is reflected in a number of supports for young farmers in schemes, such as TAMS, where young trained farmers can qualify for higher grant rates, it said.

However, at the launch of the Macra na Feirme strategic plan last week, the group’s president James Healy told the Irish Farmers Journal he would like to see a retirement scheme put in place that was linked to farm partnerships.

“We’re not asking for an Early Retirement Scheme but for a tool that ensures that if a beef farmer goes into partnership and eventually transfers their land to the young farmer, that they [older farmers] would still have some financial security for themselves.”

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