Retirement scheme ‘must be flexible’
That’s what Irish Farmers Association Rural Development Committee chairman Padraic Divilly told a meeting of the Cork West IFA County Executive in Dunmanway.
He said EU draft guidelines to implement the ERS from 2007 give an opportunity to implement a better scheme than the current one and to remove many of the barriers to farmers who want to retire.
“The improvement to the scheme must involve a pension level of €23,000, made up of a standard payment of €13,000 plus €303 / ha up to a maximum of 33ha.
“Furthermore, the age of transferees must increase from 40 years to 45 years of age, the transferee off-farm income must increase from €25,400 to €35,000 and the upper income unit limit for leases to family or non-family members must be removed.”
Mr Divilly said the current ERS had attracted 2,700 farmers so far. Uptake had been badly affected by the failure to increase the pension level in line with inflation as well as restrictions on the age of transferees and off-farm income limit.
Meanwhile, farmers have been urged to inform themselves about the law surrounding the transfer and inheritance of land.
Barrister Niamh McHugh, who began a series of IFA Skillnet information sessions in Mallow yesterday, said landowners need to acquaint themselves with the latest legislation in order to make the correct decision when it comes to transferring land and organising an orderly inheritance.
