Retirement rules ‘should be relaxed’
It welcomed Joe Walsh’s announcement last weekend of the easing of the restrictions on farm work under the scheme.
Rural Development Committee chairperson Tommy Cooke said it was an important step in the right direction that retired farmers would now be able to work as insured employees in farming related businesses such as farm relief or with farm contractors.
Afcon and UCC evaluators of the CAP Rural Development Plan, however, said in their mid-term review report that transferors should be allowed to continue as farm workers and that the skills of able-bodied people should not be lost to the sector. These recommendations should be fully implemented.
Mr Cooke said the ICMSA believes the retired farmer should be allowed to work on a voluntary non-payment basis up to a certain number of hours on his/her farm to assist the younger farmer.
Mr Cooke said the minister should ensure that retired farmers are allowed to help out on their home farm.
His announcement is a first step in the right direction but there are a number of other significant anomalies in the scheme.
He urged him to make representations to the Department of Finance to solve the issue of the income tax treatment of family leases under ERS.
