Fianna Fáil said that the self-employed, such as farmers, who face higher taxation than the people they employ, should have an equivalent PAYE allowance. This would concern those on low and medium earnings with a tax credit equivalent to the PAYE tax credit of €1,650. The manifesto, which was launched by Éamon Ó Cuív, spokesperson for agriculture, and Bobby Aylward, spokesperson for community affairs, outlines plans for rural Ireland.
Fianna Fáil said that the self-employed, such as farmers, who face higher taxation than the people they employ, should have an equivalent PAYE allowance. This would concern those on low and medium earnings with a tax credit equivalent to the PAYE tax credit of €1,650.
The manifesto, which was launched by Éamon Ó Cuív, spokesperson for agriculture, and Bobby Aylward, spokesperson for community affairs, outlines plans for rural Ireland.
The party said that if elected to government, they will change the level of the means-testing rule for Farm Assist, so that regardless of the source of farm income, the first €3,000 will be disregarded and the balance will be means-tested at 50%.
Fianna Fáil recently criticised Government cuts to Farm Assist in the Dáil.
Rural Social Scheme
Increasing the number of places on the Rural Social Scheme (RRS) to over 5,000 is listed as a priority as well as “protecting and developing agriculture”.
There are currently 2,600 farmers on this scheme, who Fianna Fáil described as having “a wide variety of skills from their farm work”.
“The productivity of this scheme is very high and it ensures that full-time farmers on small holdings have an adequate family income.”
Further social protection
The party also committed to “reviewing the PRSI anomaly” for farmers who are now entitled to pay self-employed PRSI. Up until 2008, farmers in receipt of Farm Assist were not entitled to pay PRSI contributions, which “can have a significant effect on pension entitlements,” Fianna Fáil said, adding that the party would also grant PRSI credits to farmers for the years they were in receipt of Farm Assist.
Fianna Fáil also promised to extend social protection supports to the self-employed, adding that such a provision “can be run on a voluntary opt-in basis”.
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