Fair deal scheme for farmers
Deputy Healy-Rae criticised the planned fair deal changes, saying farm and home assessments were still too harsh on small farmers and businesses. The Minister said Cabinet had approved proceeding and that the Bill would go to committee scrutiny, describing it as a positive equality measure for rural Ireland.
Small farmers and businesses, especially shop owners, have been waiting for a revised fair deal scheme for many years. The Minister of State at the Department of Health has announced that he will shortly bring forward this Bill, which was promised several times before. I will highlight what is wrong with the proposals the Minister of State will bring forward. The Department is still insisting that 100% of the value of the farm must be assessed for the fair deal scheme, as well as the family home, which is wrong. If a farmer gets sick or hurt, which is a possibility because of the type of physical work involved, the young person taking over must have been farming for three years and must continue to farm for six years. What is going to happen when young children cannot take over the farm and a wife would have no other income if she did not rent the farm, for example? That is very wrong. Has the Minister of State any regard for small farmers and rural Ireland, where people are barely surviving? It is very wrong and after all the time we have waited, is this the best the Minister of State can do?
Comment on this
There was approval by the Government this morning at its Cabinet meeting to proceed with this as planned. I have an answer for some of the matters raised by the Deputy but they are somewhat extensive for this forum. The Bill will move to pre-legislative scrutiny in the health committee, where the Deputy would be welcome to tease out the matters he has raised. The Deputy should be under no illusion but that this is a very good news story for rural Ireland, including small businesses and farmers. This has a price tag of in excess of €10 million per annum and it is, above all, an equality matter. These people should be treated in the same way as every other citizen of the State.
That is to be welcomed. Whatever we do the Deputy will say there is more to be done but what we are doing is a significant step and one to be welcomed by all. I can address the issues the Deputy raised in more detail at pre-legislative scrutiny stage.
Comment on this
What the Minister is doing is not fair.