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info@eastcorkjournal.ie


EAST CORK AGRICULTURE info@eastcorkjournal.ie


ANC Scheme Increase Welcome But Taxation Changes Are Disappointing For Farmers


ICSA president Pat-


rick Kent has welcomed the increased funding of €25m for the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) scheme in Budget 2018 describing it as “An im- portant first step towards the full reinstatement of the scheme’s €257m allo- cation prior to austerity cuts which have severely impacted farmers on the lowest incomes.” However, Mr Kent was


scathing in his response to the minimal increase to the Earned Income Tax Credit and the derisory reduction in the Univer- sal Social Charge (USC).


“It is unacceptable that


the commitment given to the self-employed to bring equality in tax treatment has gone by the wayside. This was supposed to hap- pen over a three year peri- od yet an increase of just €200 for 2018 still leaves a lot of ground to be made up. This minimal increase will leave


farmers and


other self-employed liable for an extra €500 income tax compared to employ- ees where income exceeds €16,500.” On USC Mr Kent said


“Despite there being the scope for material reduc- tions in USC, Minister


Donohoe has chosen to inflict the most derisory reductions to the charge on hard working people. The quarter per cent re- duction will deliver a lot less to people who get up early in the morning than has been allocated to the dole.


It is important to


note that USC is a very unfair tax on farmers who invest on their farms as the capital allowances availa- ble against income tax do not apply on USC.” Mr Kent welcomed the announcement that land under solar panels would be classified as agricul- tural for the purposes of


Capital Acquisitions Tax relief and Capital Gains Tax (CGT) retirement relief, subject


limitations. However, he lamented the


to certain fact


that


there was no increase in the thresholds for CAT liability, which remains at €310,000 for category A, €32,500 for category B and €16,250 for category C.


Mr Kent described the


increase in stamp duty on non-residential assets from 2% to 6% as com- pletely over the top and said this would have a big impact on people trying to consolidate farm holdings.


Failure To Allow Work Permits Shows Department Is Out Of Touch With Agri Sector


has expressed his frustra- tion at


IFA President Joe Healy the refusal of the


Department of Business,


Enterprise and Innovation (DBEI) to allow employ- ment permits to be extend- ed for agricultural workers from non-EEA countries, as indicated to IFA in cor- respondence this week. Mr Healy is seeking an urgent meeting with Minister Frances Fitzgerald to seek action on what is now an acute crisis in some sectors. In a submission to DBEI,


IFA had identified the acute shortage of skilled and general agricultural la- bour supply and proposed employment


permits be


extended to farm workers from non-EEA countries to meet this need. In their written response


to the IFA the DBEI con- tended that according to their research ‘agricultural workers were not a short- age occupation’. This view


is clearly at odds with the situation on farms, which has led Minister for Ag- riculture


Michael


to establish a Stakeholder Group on Labour for the dairy sector.


“There is


clearly severe information and communication deficit on this crucial issue at gov- ernment level,” Mr Healy said. The


President


“Farmers compete on in- ternational markets,


said, and


considering the potential implications of Brexit for Irish agriculture, any re- striction on competitive- ness will have serious impli- cations for the objectives of Food Wise 2025. Teagasc have identified the need for an additional 6,000 full time


employment equiv-


alents for the dairy sector alone.” IFA National Dairy Committee


Chairman


Sean O’Leary said solving the farm labour shortage


will require Creed more than


one solution: “A pilot pro- ject run by the Farm Re- lief Services, Teagasc and the Department of Social Protection has shown that small numbers of candi- dates can be identified and trained to become dairy farm operatives. However, with a national unemploy- ment rate at 6% and the scale of the identified need for dairy labour including highly skilled dairy farm managers, it is crucial that every avenue to procure suitable


be explored, including re- cruitment outside EEA.”


“Minister Creed must


ensure his colleague Min- ister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Frances Fitzgerald understands fully the need to recon- sider her Department’s ill-judged decision on this issue, and I intend to press for this at the Stakeholder


workers would of the


Group on Dairy Labour Shortages Minister Creed has established,” he said. IFA Horticulture Chair- man Gerry Reilly said: “The horticulture sector - mushroom and strawberry growers in particular – are suffering an acute labour crisis which DBEI have clearly not Mushroom


growers


recognised. are


at breaking point as they face this crisis along with the fallout


The Irish government


from Brexit. is


expecting Irish mushroom growers to compete on ex- port markets against Polish suppliers who have access to workers from non- EEA countries. All we are look- ing for is a level playing field.” Joe Healy concluded: “If


Food Wise 2025 is to be de- livered on by Irish farmers, our government must act coherently and decisively to solve what is a major cri- sis for the sector.”


Tel: 021 463 8000 • Email: info@eastcorkjournal.ie • Web: www.eastcorkjournal.ie Have you got a story for the ? IFA Rural Development


Chairman Joe Brady has insisted that all of the fund- ing of €624m allocated in the Budget to RDP meas- ures for 2018 must be used across the wide range of schemes, which play a vital role in supporting farm in- comes. Joe Brady has welcomed


the increased allocation of €25m for ANCs and €20m for TAMS, and the allocation of €234m for agri-environment


ures. However, he said, it is


vitally important


meas- that


underspends that have aris- en in recent years do not recur. Also, the 2017 allo- cation must be fully used as otherwise there will be a repeat of the handing back


Thursday, 19th


October 2017


Deadline Monday at noon


Budget Funding Must Be Fully Spent Following Increased Tams And ANC Allocations


of funds to the central ex- chequer, which occurred last year. In relation to TAMS, the


IFA Rural Development Chairman is urging all farmers who have complet- ed work to make their claim for payment as soon as pos- sible as the 2017 allocation of €50m is far from spent. So far this year, €21m in grant aid has been paid out and it is important that this funding is fully utilised be- fore year-end. In relation to the alloca-


tion for agri-environment schemes, the breakdown of the 2018 allocation will be €211m for GLAS, €6m for AEOS, €10.5m for organics and €11.5m for locally led schemes, including the Bur-


ren and Hen Harrier areas. “It is important that the


Minister for Agriculture pays out as much GLAS money over the


coming


months to the 50,000 farm- ers in the scheme to avoid eating into the 2018 alloca- tion,” Joe Brady said. Commenting on ANCs,


the IFA National Hill Committee Chairman Pat Dunne said the increased allocation of €25m is wel- come and will go some way to reversing cuts that hit hill farmers hard in 2009. The ANC scheme is a vital life- line for hill farmers, along with other direct payments. Pat Dunne called for pay- ment levels in 2018 to re- flect the natural handicap of the land.


If you have a news story you would like included in the paper please email


info@eastcorkjournal.ie before 12 noon on Monday


prior to desired publication date eastcorkjournal @eastcorkjournal / #eastcorkjournal


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