Next Tuesday, October 13, the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan will announce Budget 2016.

It will be the final budget in the term of the current Government and similar to other years it has been preceded by an array of demands from farm organisations.

The IFA has said it is clear that in Budget 2016, the Government must deliver on its funding commitment to the Rural Development Programme (RDP).

Funding of €580m, which has already been committed as part of the RDP, must be provided for farm schemes in the Budget and that this funding will underpin the economic recovery of rural Ireland.

The ICSA has called for full matching funding to facilitate Rural Development programme spend of €580m to cover maximum participation in GLAS; Knowledge Transfer (discussion groups) including possibility of being in beef and sheep; Beef Data Genomics Programme (BDGP) and so forth.

Meanwhile, the ICMSA has repeatedly called for the extension to farm families of the same tax relief for farm leases as that available to non-related families.

Following a meeting of September 17 with Ministers Noonan and Howlin the ICMSA is also reasonably content that the need to extend to 2018 Stock Relief and the Stamp Duty Relief for Trained Young Farmers has been taken on board and will be acted upon.

Staying with young farmers, Macra na Feirme is calling for the renewal of 100% Young Farmer Stamp Duty Relief and retention of 90% Agricultural Relief.