Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----clarify again that we never opposed this scheme; we would just do it much better.

The scheme also requires that the work to be done must be paid for upfront, with the grant moneys being claimed back afterwards. Again, the cost of materials and of work is rising and doing so very quickly. This is also causing problems for some people as well. It has been brought to my attention that it would be beneficial if consideration were to be given to paying the grant in phases. I do not know if this is an option but it is something that even an organisation like Macra na Feirme raised in its pre-budget submission. In the context of the grant, it was seeking an extension of the time allowed for the work to be completed from 13 months to two years, and for the work to be paid for on a phased basis, if at all possible. As I said, we want to facilitate more young people interested in farming. They want to live on or close to their farms. This scheme is an option when they cannot get planning permission. We need more young people to go into farming, so we should explore anything we can do to support them.

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