The government is being urged to finalise changes to the Fair Deal Scheme this week, before the Dáil goes on its summer recess.
Tim Cullinan, the president of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), highlighted: “We have multiple government commitments that this legislation would be through the Dáil before the recess.
“This is the final week before the summer break,” he noted.
“Changes to the bill are due before the Dáil on Wednesday and the Seanad on Thursday, so there cannot be more delays.”
The IFA president added: “Farm families who are in this unfair scheme are continuing to see their farm assets run down, making the farm business unviable for the next generation.”
Cullinan’s sentiments were echoed by the chairperson of the IFA’s Farm Family Committee.
Caroline Farrell said that “promise after promise has been made, but no change is yet on the statue book”.
“It’s heartbreaking for the families involved. We cannot have any more delays,” she insisted.
One member of the government has already said that the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Amendment Bill) will be finalised and in effect from October.
Speaking earlier this month, Minister of State at the Department of Health Mary Butler said that “this is going on for three years and I was anxious to try and get this bill through”.
“We are working really hard to try and see how we can get the creative thinking in an extremely complex issue that hasn’t been dealt with by the previous government,” the Fianna Fáil Waterford TD said.
A number of deputies tabled an amendment for the bill to be brought into operation no more than 30 days after it is enacted. However, the minister has said that this would not be possible, due to the recent HSE cyber security incident.
“My firm intention is that this legislation amendment is enacted and commenced as quickly as possible,” Minister Butler had said.