Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue is strongly looking at Macra's proposal of a farm succession scheme, president of Macra Elaine Houlihan has said.

Houlihan was speaking to the Minister at the open day in Moorepark on Tuesday 4 July.

One of his key objectives, she said, is to ensure young farmers can get into farming.

Houlihan stressed that young farmers need support and a future must be secured for young farmers and the work force.

"Macra welcomes the Minister's commitment to strongly look at the Macra succession proposal, given all of the noise at the moment around possible reductions in herd sizes, it is heartening to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel," she said.

The theme of the Moorepark event was securing a sustainable future for the dairy industry.

Commenting on this, the Macra president said: “we keep concentrating on the sustainability of the sector in relation to its environmental sustainability, with little thought about who is actually going to farm into the future.

"Without new entrants into the industry being supported, it will not matter what measures are put in place as there will be no industry."