Tax relief and farm succession are two of the major issues facing rural Ireland that need to be high on the agenda in the run up to Budget 2024, the Fine Gael parliamentary party has been informed.
According to Fine Gael’s Agricultural, Food and Rural Development Forum (NAFRD) feedback from an estimated 2,500 people shows that the transfer of family holdings from one generation to the next is a major consideration that should be addressed.
Eddie Downey, chair of the NAFRD and former president of the IFA, said: “Capital Acquisitions Tax and Agriculture Reliefs remain firmly on the farming agenda, but stock relief and stamp duty are also emerging as areas where changes could be made.”
The NAFRD, which was formed to serve as a representative body for rural Ireland’s Fine Gael members and the parliamentary body, have held a series of events, including two regional conferences over the past six months.
Fine Gael parliamentary party
The forum presented what it identified as the priority issues to the members of the parliamentary party at Leinster House in Dublin.
Downey said: “Our previous engagements resulted in successful outcomes to our pre-Budget 2023 submission and I hope for a similar achievement this year.”
He believes that there is a clear “will to acknowledge and understand” the issues that impact on rural villages and towns.
“I am encouraged that there is also a will there to work towards delivering viable solutions that will safeguard these communities and foster growth and prosperity,” Downey added.
Rural Ireland
The NAFRD said they had “identified a range of issues” which are at the forefront for rural Ireland relating to environmental, planning and taxation.
Downey added: “European Union legislation, such as the nitrates, nature restoration and pesticide regulation directives will impact significantly on farmers, and they want clarity around how these will impact on their business.
“This forum provides a vital link between rural Ireland and the Fine Gael parliamentary party, and represents the views of people working in agriculture and food sectors, as well as wider community groups and organisations.”