Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My understanding is that we are putting this measure in place for farmers without children as a means of encouraging them to give the land to younger farmers to utilise. Obviously, the previous scheme applied to a family in circumstances where the land was to be handed down, but in a circumstance where a farmer does not have children, it is believed the application of this measure will help him or her utilise it for that purpose.