The cabinet has approved legislation to go before the Dáil in the coming weeks on the Fair Deal Scheme.
The legislation will be aimed at amending the scheme to make it more accessible for small business owners and farming families.
Reacting to the development today (Tuesday, May 11), Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill – who is the chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine – welcomed the new legislation, remarking that the scheme “will be a lot fairer”.
The Tipperary TD acknowledged the work of Minister of State for mental health and older people Mary Butler for bringing the legislation before cabinet.
The amendment to the scheme – which is officially called the Nursing Home Support Scheme – will see a cap of three years on financial assessments of farm and business assets where a family successor continues to work the productive asset.
“We will finally make the Fair Deal Scheme a whole lot fairer and more accessible to farming families and small business owners – the length and breadth of this country,” Cahill said today.
Cabinet approval for the legislation has also been welcomed by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), whose president, Tim Cullinan, noted: “This is a very emotive issue for farm families. We will be studying the legislation closely when it comes before the Oireachtas.”
Caroline Farrell, the association’s farm family chairperson, said: “The scheme as it stands is fundamentally unfair. It is bringing huge stress and worry on farm families, placing a question over farm viability.”
The government had previously said that the bill would come before the Dáil in this session and that it would be operational by summer.
In April, Minister Butler confirmed that the bill had been signed by the Attorney General.
Minister Butler explained: “Following cabinet procedure, the bill must be formally circulated to other government departments to allow for their formal observations before the Minister for Health will bring a memorandum to cabinet seeking permission to publish the bill.”