Martin Heydon (Kildare South, Fine Gael)

The fair deal scheme has had a specific impact on farmers. While it is not under my remit or that of the Department of agriculture, I have engaged with previous Ministers for Health on it and I would be happy to work with the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on this area as well. The last Government made changes around it and we want to be able to give certainty, clarity and comfort to people who are planning the transition of land in the most difficult of circumstances. We want to make sure the fair deal scheme is fair in how it does it. I will be happy to work with the Deputy and colleagues across the House on that issue, because how it affects farmers and how it affects small businesses more broadly is a key consideration.

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