Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I got almost everything I asked for from the Department of Finance in this budget. The Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan, and his team have shown a great willingness to respond to my Department's efforts to make farming more dynamic in terms of the business of farming and the productivity thereof. However, there is always more to do. For example, I would like to see more incentives to consolidate farm land. There was a consolidation relief in place until last summer. Unfortunately, it was little availed of, which was the main reason for its abolition, but it may be reconsidered in the future. We may examine it in the run-up to the Finance Bill.

For next year we will continue to look at the measures currently in place and how they can be further enhanced. The budget has done a significant amount to reshape the system, particularly in terms of reforming the land mobility market in order to get land moving. I often point out that the average field in Ireland is sold once every 400 years, while the average field in France is sold once every 70 years. That is because land remains in the ownership of families in an intergenerational way in Ireland. There is almost an obsession with land ownership. That is an issue we are seeking to address in this budget.

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