Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are supporting the amendment. Sinn Féin supports the concept of having a means of looking at farmer's taxation over a number of years. It was in our pre-budget submission. Many parts of the farming community are open to volatility in income. We regularly hear about the dairy sector's problems in this regard, but it exists in many other sectors as well. Deputy Mattie McGrath mentioned the delays in payments, which result in this. I often come across farmers who have a delay in getting their reps or GLAS payments. When it is delayed it runs into the second year and they get two GLAS payments in the same year. For many farmers the payments they receive from supplements of that nature is actually a large portion of their income. The grain farmers were before the Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine this morning. Some 85% of the grain farmer's income actually comes from that cheque in the post. That gives an impression of how important the GLAS payments are to them. If that is delayed and runs into the second year they will be taxed on the two cheques together, and it is a huge hit to that farmer's income. The idea of equalising the tax payments over a number of years is very simple and honest, and a decent way to do it. I implore the Minister to look at this and support the amendment, because at the end of the day our farming community is the backbone of our society.

Where I come from most farmers are on areas of natural constraint, ANC. They are very dependent on ensuring that they can get a decent income. Many of the farmers will not pay much tax because they do not have much money, but they need to be able to see that they will not be hit with a big tax bill when they have a good year. It is vital that they are given fair play. People who live in that part of the world need to have a chance of making a decent living and a chance to ensure that farming can provide for themselves and their communities into the future. At present that does not happen, and that is something that needs to be looked at and resolved. Looking at agriculture into the future, we need to find a way of ensuring that the family farm can be sustainable. If it is to be sustainable these tax measures will have to be part of that. I implore the Minister to support the amendment.

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