Farm organisations are keeping pressure on the Government to put a ceiling on the nursing home charges applicable to family farms. Changes are due to be announced this month.
Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly. \ Philip Doyle
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ICMSA president John Comer has said that Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly committed to the proposed three year limit on charges applying to farm property under the Fair Deal nursing home support scheme.
Under current rules, a farmer entering a nursing home must pay 7.5% of the value of their farm every year to contribute to their care costs. The same applies to any business owner, with many are forced to sell the family farm or business to fund their nursing home care. The proposal would end this charge after three years, as is already the case for family homes or patients suffering a sudden illness.
“We will fully engage with the minister in the coming weeks to make sure that this commitment gets over any hurdles and if, and when, it comes to legislation in the Dáil, ICMSA will raise other issues such as the five-year ‘look back’ on assets,” Comer said. Farms transferred within the five years prior to their owner entering the scheme are currently subject to the charges.
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Budget increase
Minister Daly had already supported the measure in a meeting with the IFA in September. The Fair Deal scheme’s allocation was increased by €9.7m in October’s budget and the minister said at the time that this would “support a new initiative for farm assets and small businesses”.
The Attorney General is now scrutinising the proposal for legal issues and the Irish Farmers Journal understand this will involve further consultations with farm organisations.
Minister Daly told the Dáil last month: “I am committed to this review of the position with regard to family farms and small businesses for the purposes of the financial assessment of the scheme and I hope to be able to clarify proposed changes before the end of this year.”
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Title: Fair Deal farm charges cap still on – ICMSA
Farm organisations are keeping pressure on the Government to put a ceiling on the nursing home charges applicable to family farms. Changes are due to be announced this month.
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ICMSA president John Comer has said that Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly committed to the proposed three year limit on charges applying to farm property under the Fair Deal nursing home support scheme.
Under current rules, a farmer entering a nursing home must pay 7.5% of the value of their farm every year to contribute to their care costs. The same applies to any business owner, with many are forced to sell the family farm or business to fund their nursing home care. The proposal would end this charge after three years, as is already the case for family homes or patients suffering a sudden illness.
“We will fully engage with the minister in the coming weeks to make sure that this commitment gets over any hurdles and if, and when, it comes to legislation in the Dáil, ICMSA will raise other issues such as the five-year ‘look back’ on assets,” Comer said. Farms transferred within the five years prior to their owner entering the scheme are currently subject to the charges.
Budget increase
Minister Daly had already supported the measure in a meeting with the IFA in September. The Fair Deal scheme’s allocation was increased by €9.7m in October’s budget and the minister said at the time that this would “support a new initiative for farm assets and small businesses”.
The Attorney General is now scrutinising the proposal for legal issues and the Irish Farmers Journal understand this will involve further consultations with farm organisations.
Minister Daly told the Dáil last month: “I am committed to this review of the position with regard to family farms and small businesses for the purposes of the financial assessment of the scheme and I hope to be able to clarify proposed changes before the end of this year.”
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