IFA Address Oireachtas Budget Oversight Committee on the Commission on Taxation and Welfare Report

IFA President Tim Cullinan, IFA National Farm Business Chair Rose Mary McDonagh, and Senior Policy Executive Karol Kissane attended the Oireachtas Budget Oversight Committee on the Commission on Taxation and Welfare Report to comment on Chapter 13 – Moving to a Low Carbon Economy and Chapter 15 Promoting Good Public health this week.

In his opening statement, Tim Cullinan outlined that the current tax and excise duty reliefs on agricultural diesel must be maintained, if these were to be removed, as is suggested in chapter 13 of the report, and tax and excise equalised on all fuels it would add over 50 cent a litre to agricultural diesel, a cost of almost €570m to farm families.

The IFA delegation also outlined the importance of policy formation on renewables that is farmer centric. If Anaerobic Digestion is going to be used as a means of producing renewable energy in Ireland then engagement is required with the IFA from Government to ensure the model rolled out in Ireland is one where farmers can benefit from their efforts.

Also, any tax reliefs that are currently in place for agriculture must now be broadened to capture any diversification that may happen in the sector.

At the Committee, several Deputies mention forestry and the position that sector currently finds itself. IFA President Tim Cullinan outlined how IFA are proposing to organise a forestry conference and he was inviting Minister Pippa Hackett and Coillte to attend this. A motion was passed, unopposed that the Minister should attend this IFA Forestry Conference.

Residential Zoned Land Tax was discussed and again IFA National Farm Business Chair Rose Mary McDonagh, reiterated the IFA position that land that is genuine farmland must be exempted from this tax. Rose Mary McDonagh quoted what Taoiseach Leo Varadka said earlier on this issue in the Dail that “It is reasonable for farmers to say, this is my farm. I own this land. It has been in my family for generations and I don’t want to develop it. I want to continue to farm it.”

There was support from a number of Deputies in the Committee on the IFA position that land genuinely farmed needs to be exempted from this land hoarding tax.