Naughten demands incentive removal

Fine Gael has called for removal of a social welfare incentive for elderly farmers who have no successor to hold onto land rather than release it onto the market.

According to the party’s Agriculture Spokesperson, Denis Naughten, TD, a farmer getting the non-contributory old age pension is better off keeping two cows on the farm rather than lease it out to a progressive, younger farmer.

He explained that the total value of any lease, long or short term, is deducted from the old age pension. However, if the farmer keeps two cows, his income is the money generated from the sale of two calves.