Niall Blaney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I very warmly welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. The Bill before the Seanad today marks an important step in the equal treatment for farmers who cannot realise the value of their assets. The Bill will allow for the continuation of their farms when they are no longer able to work due to advancing age. We must ensure fair treatment of farmers, not just when they are producing goods and feeding the island, but also when they can no longer work. The extension of the three-year cap to cover family farm assets is very welcome in this regard. The overall aim of the nursing homes support scheme is that participants contribute to the cost of their care according to their means while the State pays the balance of the cost. Farming should be covered in line with others who have different means of income.

I commend the Bill for two reasons. First, the Bill aims to support family farms and the continuation of family farming. It removes some undue stress on inheritance of farmland. Sustainability of farms does not simply include the sustainability of the environment; it must also include the sustainability of the farm's operation, ensuring that farms can be passed down through the generations. Who knows the land better than those who have lived their entire lives farming on it? We must ensure that the passing down of farmland and all that comes with it is fair and just.

Second, the Bill ensures affordable care to those who have contributed so much of their time and effort to this land. State-subsidised care is a common good that should be offered to all based on means and farmers should be treated no differently. A three-year cap on assets will help to put their minds at ease when it is time to pass their farm down to the next generation without incurring heavy financial cost. State supports must be in place for those who need them and for those who deserve them. Farmers certainly deserve Government support. We cannot have a situation where farmers must decline nursing home support and the provision of quality of care because they fear for the financial well-being of their families if they choose to do so. Farming is the lifeblood of this country. Like Senator Gallagher, I grew up on a family farm in Donegal, which is still in my family's possession.

I thank Senators Carrigy and Kyne for sharing their personal experiences. I also have experience of what it is like to care for a loved one at home. As my father, a former Deputy in the other House, passed away with Alzheimer's, I know what it is like to care for an individual in that position. He and five of his siblings suffered from the same illness. This Bill would provide welcome relief for many families throughout the country.

Like many other Members, I spent countless hours working on farmland in my younger years. Farming does not come easily. It is a laboursome and difficult career for those who choose to pursue it. Farmers should be given plenty of credit. They should not be left behind in quality of life or care after farming. Farmers cannot afford to be run down financially when the farmer needs provision of care. The Government is sending a strong message of support to farmers. The Minister of State today is providing a statement on equal and fair treatment of those who devoted their lives to the production of sustenance.

The proposed amendments to the scheme are very welcome. I look forward to the passing of the Bill to give farmers much-needed relief before the House takes its recess. I commend the Minister of State on addressing the anomalies in the scheme.I have no doubt about the Minister of State's determination and persistence. Her knowledge in this area and the experience she brought to the role has certainly paid off. We sincerely thank her for all the work she has done in delivering this Bill today. I commend the Bill to the House.