IFA to resist attempts to use asset farmland in college entry criteria

IFA president John Bryan said IFA would resist any attempt to use productive assets as part of the qualifying criteria for college maintenance grants.

Using asset farmland as a means of criteria for qualifying for entry to third level college courses would seriously discriminate against farm families, he said.

He said farm families are already facing discrimination under existing assessments of farm income for the college maintenance grants, as these disallow a number of expenses which are allowed in income tax computation. These include capital allowances, lease payments, stock relief and interest on borrowing for capital purposes.