Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 17 July 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agri-Taxation Review: Discussion (Resumed)

10:25 am

Photo of Andrew DoyleAndrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I thank all the witnesses. Representatives of two other farm organisations were before the committee some weeks ago and the witnesses will be glad to hear that the similarities among all the organisations are apparent in terms of land mobility, price volatility, land transfer, access for young trained professionals, and the need for a tax code. Those of us who started more years ago than we care to remember knew that was needed then, and it has been needed ever since. Mr. Doyle in particular knows that. We have to ensure we get it right so we must reflect on the potential in terms of a tax code.

Are the members agreeable that the transcripts of the debates today and the previous day will be forwarded to the Minister and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine? Agreed. We will take extracts from it when we are writing our report but it would be valuable for the transcripts of both sessions to be forwarded.

It was not a waste of the witnesses' time coming before the committee. We have the benefit of their views now and we will try to condense all the contributions into a report. Some key points were made, including one as practical as the pay date to reflect cash flow. Regardless of the enterprise, there is a dynamic in terms of the timing of the single farm payment. Unless the payment of that is brought forward, the pay date cannot be brought forward. We will suspend the meeting to allow the witnesses for the next session to come in. Again, I thank the witnesses.