Irish young farmers press Taoiseach for meaningful support

Josephine O'Neill, president of Macra, Ireland's young farmers' organisation, called on the government today, 24 October, to introduce meaningful measures to tackle income volatility in farming and make the sector an attractive career for young people. She was speaking at Macra's 60th National Autumn Conference in Adare, Co. Limerick. The keynote address was given by Ireland's prime minister, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin.

Macra's demands

O'Neill called for subsidised farm relief services that reflect the realities of modern farming and support the well-being and work-life balance of those in the sector. She also said rural communities must remain viable places where young people can live and work.

She noted that numerous reports highlight the agri-food sector's importance to the economy, exports and employment, but argued that the actions of successive governments on young farmers have fallen short. Meetings and reports, she said, must lead to delivery. She handed the Taoiseach the organisation's position paper and asked for ambitious, properly funded supports.

The Taoiseach's response

Martin said the sector continues to perform strongly but faces an exceptionally challenging global environment, with geopolitical uncertainty, market volatility and rising energy and input costs putting pressure on farms. The government, he said, will keep supporting family farms, including through Ireland's CAP (the EU's Common Agricultural Policy) Strategic Plan, which will deliver some €10.1 billion to farm families up to 2027.

He also cited the recent extension of the Fuel Income Support Scheme and a major funding package. The government has committed the maximum national funding allowed under the EU Exceptional Aid package, 200% of the EU allocation, amounting to €30.8 million. Together with Ireland's EU allocation, this gives €46.2 million for the Fertiliser Exceptional Aid Scheme, to be paid to farmers before the end of the year.

The Taoiseach described generational renewal as the burning issue for Irish farmers and said attracting young people into farming is a recognised problem in Ireland, across the EU and globally. Making farming an attractive career, he said, requires sustainable income streams. Generational renewal is one of nine key objectives of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027.