In July 2018 it was announced that the Cabinet had approved a proposal to change the treatment of farms and businesses under the fair deal scheme. The proposal was to extend the three-year cap for farms and businesses where a family successor continued to operate the farm or business for six years. Will the Tánaiste provide an update on this proposal and indicate when it will be implemented?

I thank the Deputy for the question. We are awaiting final legal advice on the matter. There has been a delay in receiving it, as experienced in most Departments, because Brexit has been given priority, but I hope the delays will ease soon. Some minor technicalities must be teased out, but I am hopeful that, once we receive a response on them, we can have the heads of the Bill published quickly and presented to the Government. I met representatives of the IFA yesterday to discuss the matter and thanked the association for its continued support in this endeavour.