Michelle Mulherin (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Macra delegation here.

To add to what the previous speaker said, it would be fair to say, on the question of land mobility, in talking about land access that practically everyone who gets into farming is from a farming background or grew up on a farm, somebody either is inheriting or gets land from a family member. I accept that is not the case across the board but it would seem that in regard to leasing, there is a lack of recognition that land is kept very much within families. There are bachelor and bachelorette farmers who do not have natural successors but it seems to be at odds with that fact. On the land access side, I presume the position is that one does not have people going to agriculture college for the most part who do not have some access to land. Is farm size and access to more land the issue?

I have an observation in regard to the capital taxes relief on the stamp duty young trained farmer relief 90% reduction and also on the agricultural relief on the gifts and inheritances side. It is attractive compared to somebody who is getting a gift or inheritance of non-agricultural land or non-business assets and it would seem that the issue in regard to land mobility is not so much concerned with that but with the older farmer who is not passing on the land at the rate Macra might like. Macra might comment on that. Macra has made suggestions to improve the situation but, as I say, it has already been there. Macra acknowledges that there has been an extension and it appreciated that. That side seems to be fairly well looked after.

I also agree on the extension of the definition of young trained farmers to those 40 years of age. Nowadays we are all living longer, and that includes older farmers. People have the ability to farm longer. It seems a natural progression that one would extend the definition and make everybody feel a lot younger too.