In 2017 the Rural Independent Group brought forward a motion calling on the Government to honour the commitment in the programme for Government to reform the fair deal scheme by removing discrimination against small businesses and farming families and to introduce a reduced charge on the farm or business assets. The purpose of the motion was to remove the uncertainty for farm families and the self-employed and to protect the future viability of the farm or business asset for future generations.

Since that date almost four years ago, there have been endless and empty commitments made regarded the introduction of this urgent legislation to ensure these reforms happen. Not a single one of these commitments has materialised to date. Farming families and small business owners are being led up the garden path. Among the most recent of these commitments was a commitment from the Taoiseach in the Dáil last summer. At that time, the Taoiseach said that legislation would be brought forward in the autumn session around September 2020. I continuously followed up with this, such as in July and September last year. At that point, I was told by the Tánaiste that the legislation would be brought to the Dáil before Christmas. Since then nothing has been done. There is delay after delay. It is unacceptable and is causing a huge amount of worry and distress for farming families and small business owners.

Within the past few days I have received a reply to a parliamentary question from the Minister for Health, who told me that he has met with the Attorney General to discuss this very issue. Yet, no date or timeframe has been set and people are being left high and dry. Yet again, it is a disconnect between rural Ireland and urban Ireland and this Government, which does not stand over a commitment it made to rural Ireland.

While there is ongoing and active engagement, it is just not enough. These reforms need to see the light of day. They need to be done urgently. I stress this point to the Taoiseach. I reiterate it is almost four years since commitments were made. This is the reason, as the Taoiseach might understand, there are suspicions among people. People may believe there is a legal or financial roadblock. We need honesty here today. We need to let people know what is happening in order that they can plan accordingly. We also need to set a date. Will the Taoiseach tell us, specifically, if there are obstacles? Will he identify what they may be?

I am sure the Taoiseach will appreciate that the repeated failure to bring forward this legislation is creating a frustrating level of uncertainty for farming families and small businesses to endure, particularly as it was the recognition of inequalities within the current system that drove the need for these reforms in the first place. Four years is too long and I again appeal to the Taoiseach to make sure a date is set, that these reforms happen, that he honours the commitments made, including those made in the programme for Government.

I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. Since the Government was formed, the programme for Government contains a very clear commitment for the introduction of this fair deal legislation, particularly insofar as it impacts on family farms and small businesses. The Government is disposed to bringing in this legislation. It is on the legislative priority list for drafting. The drafting is being finalised and I have been informed that it will be possible to bring it to the Dáil before the summer recess. I will go back to double-check this with the parliamentary draftsman, with the Attorney General and with the Minister. I am just as determined to get this legislation passed as anybody. Obviously we want to get it right as well. I understand that in previous years, the delay in the legislation coming in was to do with issues around the precise nature of the legislation and what it would and would not include. We are giving this priority. It needs to happen and we are committed to making sure that it will happen.

I thank the Taoiseach for that response. I welcome that the proposed legislation is on the priority list. At this point, however, when people such as farmers and small businesses are in more financially precarious situations than they were in 2017, there is a need to provide a date. We need a solid date provided at this point. We have waited for far too long. Farming families are under tremendous pressure, between Brexit and everything else that has impacted upon them. They are struggling to pay bills for loved ones in nursing homes. We need to make sure they are provided with a date at this stage. My Rural Independent Group colleagues and I have been bringing this up for too long. We hear that it will happen by autumn recess or summer recess or before Christmas. The people out there are hearing the same thing. It is not good enough. A date must be provided.

People are under huge financial pressure. I know that farming families are also under pressure with new regulations that are coming in with regard to the prescribing of animal medicines. I call on the Government to rectify this and make sure that it listens to the agri-merchants, and that farming families are not expected to carry that burden as well as the current burden they carry due to the delay to reforms on the fair deal scheme.

I accept the basic principle the Deputy articulates on the need to bring in this legislation and especially how the ongoing situation has a negative impact on family farms. Farming is under pressure because of Brexit and Covid, as is the general economy. The Government has introduced unprecedented interventions in the economy to support incomes and to support business across the board.

Considerable work has been done on this detailed legislation. I will revert back to the Deputy on the timelines for its introduction. We want to have it published and introduced into the House before the summer recess and certainly after Easter.