Support for farmer exemption from zoned land tax

Land is being zoned is "through a desktop study being done by the local authorities".

Opposition TDs have supported farmers’ calls for their land to be excluded from the residential zoned land tax.

Speaking to members of the media at the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association AGM in Co Limerick on Monday, Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson Matt Carthy said that the “difficulty is that some land shouldn’t be zoned; if the land isn’t available for development, then it shouldn’t be zoned”.

“I don’t think the farmland that is in agricultural use should be zoned for construction,” said Mr Carthy.

“As a rural TD, one of the big problems we have in terms of seeing new housing developments emerge is that the existing zoned land isn’t available because it’s being farmed, and other land that is available isn’t zoned.

“There needs to be a rebalancing there.”

Raising the issue in the Dáil also this week was independent TD Sean Canney, who said that the way land is being zoned is “through a desktop study being done by the local authorities”.

“They are not looking on the ground or talking to owners to see whether the land will become available,” said Mr Canney.

“In many small rural towns around the country, farmers are farming right up to the town boundaries and beyond. They are now being caught up in this residential tax, even though they are not hoarding land.

“Their land has been zoned by the local authority without their knowledge or consent.”