Danny Healy-Rae warns bill could force families to lose farms
Danny Healy-Rae criticised a bill on nursing-home assessments that would assess family farms, arguing it risks forcing farm families to sell land. He welcomed a three-year cap but warned amendments could extend liability to six years where a couple's name is on the deeds, calling the approach unfair and overly complex.
Overview of concerns
He expressed strong concern that the measure treats the family farm differently from the family home and is not fair to farm families. He thanked the minister for bringing the bill forward and for the cap of three years, but said recent comments could mean a six-year exposure for some couples and that this was not what members signed up to.
Financial impact example
He used a 500,000 euro farm to illustrate the charge, saying a three-year assessment would equate to 7,500 euro a year per 100,000 — 37,500 euro a year on a 500,000 farm — calling it "a savage sum of money" that could lead to families losing their farms.
Practical family consequences
He outlined practical scenarios where the rules could be unworkable: a spouse unable to farm because of childcare or injury, or children in college who would be forced to leave education to run the farm. He noted restrictions such as an inability to lease the land would compound the problem for families.
Retrospective cases and payments owed
He raised concerns about people already in nursing homes and payments made on their behalf since the government announced the bill. He urged that cases be considered retrospectively, including up to six years, because some families have already paid money to nursing homes and face potential clawback against their farms.
Appeal to the minister
He appealed to the minister to revisit the detail, urging that the family farm be treated with the same fairness as the family home and that the land assessment be simplified. He concluded that as drafted the bill is complex and, for some farmers, a very poor deal.
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Thank you very much. I am very concerned about this bill and first of all Minister I want to thank you especially for bringing the bill forward and at least that we will have a cap of three years but when I hear what Deputy Nocturne has come out with there that is going to be six years if a couple's name is on the deeds I mean that is not what we were signing up to at all. That is a very bad article the Minister because just take a 500,000 euro farm value for 500,000 and if it was three it would be 7,500 a year per 100,000 so that is 37,500 a year for the young fella or the wife or whoever is trying to fool the person in the nursing home. That is a savage sum of money to come up with and to mean for many that they will lose their farms and they will not be able to hold them and this is what this bill was supposed to be about, fairness for family farms and it would be way easier altogether if we did not assess the family farm only like everywhere else assess the family home. And it is not fair to family farms what is being done, it shouldn't be so complex, it needn't be so complex and there is things like that the person taking over the farm or the person ruling the farm can't lease it. I mean if there is young children and a man gets hurt in an accident or whatever, what can the wife do or what is she supposed to do with the farm, she is not able to farm it maybe mind the young children. Take the other scenario, the children are further up in ages and they are in college or whatever and they need to be paid for in college. So are we going to insist that one of these youngsters drop out of college and start ruling the farm and then at the same time try to talk to 7,500 a year for a 500 and you will only get a very average farm for 500,000 ministers. And I think with the revelations that are coming out about joining the couples, I am not at all satisfied minister that this is happening and we are not treating farm families with fairness and it should be the same for every applicant and everyone going to a nursery home that is the family home and not the farm. The farm is the tool for their income. I mean all the people have pensions and different things and maybe have other jobs but it takes a couple to run a farm and a family and if one of them has to go into a nursery home and the other like I said can't farm, has children to mind or children need to go to college or whatever, minister I am appealing to you to look at this again. And it took so long to do it. There are questions to be asked like since the government said they were going to bring forward this bill. There are people in nursing homes, there are parents under threat, there is money to be paid back and they have been paid money to the nursing home because they are guaranteed they would not be in the nursing home if the nursing home was not being paid. So there is money owed and are we going to – these people need to be considered retrospectively. Even back six years there are people in nursing homes that we know and their farms are going to be taken off them. I am appealing to you minister and I do appreciate you going at it but the government or whoever has it made more complex by insisting that the land is assessed. Look Count Corley I appreciate there are other people wanting to get in but I am very concerned even still with what is happening and it is not a fair deal at all. In fact it is very lousy for some farmers. Thank you very much Deputy Healy.
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