Taoiseach and Minister for Agriculture address young farmers and rural youth

An Taoiseach Simon Harris was the key note address at the Macra national conference hosted by Kildare Macra over the October Bank Holiday weekend in Naas.

The Taoiseach as part of his address committed to a comprehensive farm succession policy identifying the need for greater focus and energy on generational renewal. 

Macra national president Elaine Houlihan welcomed the Taoiseach's comments saying Macra will continue to champion and put “the success into succession” and generational renewal while also highlighting the importance of financial support for mental health initiatives. 

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie Mc Conalogue in a fireside chat was questioned about upcoming taxation changes in the Finance Bill, access to schemes for new entrants, generational renewal and the nitrates action plan among the issues.  

Access for new entrants to multi-annual schemes such as ACRES was addressed by the Minister who committed to reviewing all multi-annual supports under CAP to determine if they can be configured to allow access for new entrants throughout the period of Ireland’s current CAP Strategic Plan.

Currently new entrants are locked out of schemes such as ACRES if they start out in farming in 2024 onwards. Under TAMS 3 the Ministered announced that he was changing the eligibility criteria regarding the grant-aiding of Robotic Milking Machines.

The changes he said will allow the restriction preventing farmers from applying for more than one robotic milking machine between TAMS 2 and TAMS 3 to be removed.  

Macra national president Elaine Houlihan said “this announcement on TAMS was welcome news and something that Macra had previously lobbied on while the restrictive access to scheme for new entrants acts as an economic barrier and its positive that the DAFM have undertaken to review this.”   

Macra national Conference picture caption below: Martin Heydon, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Josephine O Neill, Macra national Chairperson, Elaine Houlihan Macra National President, Simon Harris, An Taoiseach, Emma Birchall, Macra Rally chairperson, Sean Kelly Macra Agricultural Affairs chairperson, Charlie Mc Conalogue, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.