Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the things the Department of Finance is likely to do shortly after the budget is to open up a detailed review of all of the tax measures that relate to agriculture and agrifood. During the past 20 years or so there have been new additions every year but very little change has been made to the existing tax incentives. I think we will see a comprehensive review within the Department of Finance of the overall package of how tax is used in agriculture. That will bring opportunities but also potential threats to the current system about which we will have to be aware. As regards this budget, I do not want to give the members the details on all the measures but we are trying to keep the same priorities intact around trying to make more land available at affordable prices, which essentially means leasing because buying land is almost impossible in Ireland because it is so expensive, particularly for young farmers. We are also trying to do some other strategic things with the tax system around environmental management and climate change.