Macra will set out their Budget asks to the Houses of the Oireachtas later.
Their annual lobbying day will see members meeting this afternoon with politicians across all parties who are interested in rural Ireland and its inhabitants.
Their submission incorporates five action areas which need to be addressed – agricultural supports for young farmers, general practice healthcare, housing, transport and rural wellbeing.
Kilkenny based President of the group Elaine Houlihan says; “Macra sees a future in rural Ireland, a future where we have viable communities where our members can live, work and bring up families. These communities are sustained by all of the services that are required to make rural living possible.”
She adds; “The backbone of these communities are our people and our farms, these farms have to be ran in an economically sustainable manner as well as in an environmental responsible manner. Ireland has a responsibility to feed 40 million people, we have to do this in a manner with the least environmental impact, for that we need the best educated farmers in control of the means of production.”
A large part of the Pre-Budget submission is the Macra Succession Scheme, in this Macra is calling for the provision in Budget 2025 for a pilot succession scheme, that would change the farming demographic from having more farmers over 80 than under 35 to something more sustainable.
The amount of young farmers in Ireland is of increasing concern to Macra, through our membership we know that they are becoming a rarer breed. On the 17th of June this year DAFM announced the figures for the 2023 Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers (CISYF). To date CRISS payments in excess of €116 million have been paid to over 120,000 applicants, with a further €33 million paid out under CISYF to 6,200 young farmers. All good news, until we see that 6200 as a percentage of 120,000 is 5.1%. It is appreciated that the CISYF payment is paid for only five years, with that the above figures give cause for concern.
Elaine went on to say, “The exact number of young farmers is calculated every 10 years by the CSO, it was last conducted in 2020 and is not due to be calculated for another 6 years, the experience of Macra on the ground is that young farmers should be declared a protected species, such is their rarity.
Elaine also said “the idea that the changes required in the Irish landscape as a result of the Nature Restoration Law and the recent EPA report with its findings in relation to water quality can be made with our existing cohort of aging farmers is ludicrous. These men and women have devoted their lives to the land, they followed the prevailing science. It is now time that the government engage in a paradigm shift, the changes required over the next 20 years and beyond can only be made by the next generation.”
Elaine concluded that “it will be interesting to see who will take the time and effort by walking from the Dáil across the road to Buswells to engage with young rural dwellers.”
