Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish you a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, every Member and all the staff a happy Christmas.

I compliment the Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Jim Daly, on working with the Rural Independent Group when we brought forward a motion on the fair deal scheme. I welcome the changes announced last night and thank the Government for incorporating them. However, they have not gone far enough. For farm families and self-employed business people, 100% of their assets apart from the house, the land or the business, is taken into the reckoning for the evaluation. It should be 10% as it is with the private houses of everybody else. It is discrimination against farm families and business people. We are seeking a meeting with the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, to try to resolve this because it is the main issue. It will render farms and businesses unviable if the scheme continues assessing them at 90% for the three years. People will not be able to pay it. While I welcome the move, it will require further work. I thank Maura Canning of the IFA for all her input on this.

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