Seanad debates

Wednesday, 8 March 2023

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Fiona O'LoughlinFiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Happy International Women's Day to our guests, to all our female Members and to all the women who work here in the Houses of the Oireachtas and in communities, doing terrific work to encourage and support others, championing us and making a difference in their own workplaces, communities and families.

It is important to acknowledge the announcement this morning that the referendum on care, the family and gender equality will happen this November. It is an important announcement, and I thank all who were involved in the citizens' assembly process chaired by Catherine Day, and of course the Members who participated in the Oireachtas committee chaired by Deputy Bacik. Later today at 2 p.m., we have the unveiling of busts of former Presidents of Ireland, Mary McAleese and Mary Robinson, two wonderful trailblazers both in society and politics. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for that initiative. We look forward to seeing many people there.

I wish to give a shout out to Newbridge Rotary Club president Sharon O'Carroll, who today was awarded a Paul Harris fellowship, meaning that she is one of only 150 in the whole world in terms of her role as a leader doing positive work; to Tara Hughes from Newbridge, who was also nominated for a Clúid leadership award for her positive work in her estate, White Oaks, Newbridge; and to Emma Early Murphy from Kildare, who was recently elected national president of Network Ireland, which is in its 40th year. Ms Early Murphy's theme for the year is "celebrating success". It is important that we always shout out when anybody has success, and try to be positive.One of the issues I want to raise is the proposed change to the stamp duty exemption. That would impact negatively on many farmers. Heretofore, when a farm is transferred from one generation to the next and it has been incorporated into a limited company, there has been a stamp duty exemption scheme for young trained farmers, which encouraged that changeover to happen before the appointed successor was 35 years of age. The young trained farmer is required to farm the holding on a full-time basis for five years. A large proportion of family farms where the exemption has been availed of are dairy farms. For that reason, many dairy farms are trading as companies, or intend to. Now Revenue has really thrown a spanner into the works. The proposed changes would cost the average 100 acre farm €15,000 per year. When we are talking about incentives to try to keep farmers, both male and female, in farming, this proposed change is regrettable. It would cost a substantial amount to any farm family. It is important that we send a message to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, and to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael McGrath. I certainly intend to speak to them personally about this but I would also like a message to go from the Seanad to say that this proposal would be a retrograde step.

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