News of a levy on concrete, and a scheme which will aid farmers in the construction of slurry storage, which were announced by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe as part of Budget 2023 today (Tuesday, September 27), will be of most interest to farmers across the country.
The one which is provoking the most concern is the levy on concrete, which is expected to be rolled out next spring, coming at a time where the cost of building materials is already deterring farmers from investing in new builds.
Speaking in the Dáil today as he announced Budget 2023, Minister Donohoe said: “Earlier this year the government agreed a comprehensive redress scheme for those homeowners who have been affected by the issue of defective products used in the building of their homes.
“This redress scheme comes with a significant cost and therefore, I am bringing forward a levy on concrete blocks, pouring concrete and certain other concrete products.
“The levy is expected to raise €80 million annually and will be applied from April 3, 2023 at a rate of 10%.”
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has not yet clarified if this levy will apply to materials for all new buildings, or whether agricultural infrastructure will be exempt.
Slurry scheme
On the other hand, some positive news for farmers was the announcement by the Minister for Finance of a “time limited” scheme to aid farmers in the construction of slurry storage.
Commenting on this, the Minister Donohoe said: “I am making provision in the budget for a time-limited scheme of accelerated capital allowances for farmers for the construction of modern slurry storage facilities.
“This will assist the sector in further adopting environmentally positive farming practices.”
Agriland has sought clarity on the timeframe for such slurry storage building and whether the funding support could be applied to projects which has just been initiated.