The lack of a farm succession scheme in Budget 2024 will lead to the “mass emigration” of young people from rural Ireland, according to Macra.
The farm organisation said that the financial roadmap unveiled by the government in the Dáil this afternoon (Tuesday, October 10) saw “many supports that have been in existence for several years being renewed”.
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath confirmed that consanguinity relief on stamp duty would be extended for five years.
The government is also increasing the maximum aggregate lifetime limit of a number of farm-related tax reliefs to €100,000, up from €70,000.
This enhanced ceiling of reliefs will apply to the young trained farmer stamp duty relief; the stock relief for young trained farmers; and the relief for succession farm partnerships.
Although these measures are “essential”, Macra said that they “do not address the issues that we face as a food-producing nation in relation to our ability to change to meet the challenges being faces by all of us in relation to the environment”.
Macra
In advance of Budget 2024, the farm organisation had lobbied the government for the introduction of a pilot succession scheme “to facilitate the transfer of land production from one generation to the next”.
This transfer would have overnight increased the number of young farmers by 12%, according to Macra.
“Macra are very disappointed that the changes needed to meet our emissions targets are being loaded onto a workforce of which one third are over the age of 65. Macra wants the young farmer to get a chance to show how farming can be sustainable,” Elaine Houlihan, Macra president, said
“The omission of a succession scheme from this budget sends the message that it is business as usual, it is our friends, families and neighbours that are emigrating daily.
“Clearly, despite claims to the contrary, rural Ireland does not matter.
“This budget, whilst delivering succour for some, will facilitate mass emigration from rural areas,” she added.
Houlihan said that Macra will continue to lobby for the future of rural Ireland and for a farm succession scheme.
“We have had considerable interest in the farm succession scheme from EU member states, the feedback that we have received is that it could be made to work on the continent,” she said.