Pat Deering (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 224: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will introduce legislation to deal with the current inequality where only dairy farmer can enter into a partnership. [17124/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Co-operation between farmers has long been the hallmark of Irish farming and this co-operation ranges from informal co-operation right through to limited companies. Partnerships are one of the more effective vehicles of co-operation and I strongly encourage farm families to seriously consider entering farm partnerships which, among other things, will bring improved economic returns and social benefits. Under existing legislation any two or more farmers, and their families, can form a partnership once they draw up and agree a Partnership Agreement and register their partnership with the Revenue Commissioners for tax purposes.

Specifically within the dairy sector the Milk Quota Regulations provide for the establishment of the Milk Production Partnerships which are registered by Teagasc with a milk quota allocation, from my Department, as an incentive.

With the impending cessation of the Milk Quota Regulations in April 2015 and my desire to encourage formal farm partnerships in all sectors of agriculture, my Department is currently examining ways of formally recognizing Farm Partnerships for the purposes of determining access to Departmental and other schemes.