IFA hold pre-budget meeting with Ministers Harris and Chambers

IFA President Francie Gorman led a delegation this week to meet with the Minister for Finance Simon Harris and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers to discuss the farm representative organisation's pre-Budget submission.

“The three main pillars of the IFA submission are the expansion of farm schemes, supports to mitigate the inflationary costs of production, and the retention and enhancement of the tax reliefs that encourage the transfer land to genuine farmers” Mr Gorman explained.

He said 2026 has been a “very tough year” to date for farmers, with spiralling costs, lower commodity prices and the financial effects of the dry conditions.

“It’s imperative that the unallocated funds from the Fuel Scheme are retained within Agriculture and used to significantly enhance the scheme,” said Mr Gorman, noting that the Govt must also make provisions to ensure that they provide the 200% matching funding for the €15m of EU fertiliser supports. “The cost of fertiliser has rocketed due to the energy crisis and the CBAM tax and this funding must be distributed out to farmers,” the IFA chief stated.

Mr Gorman added that with “reduced margins” expected across most farm sectors this year, the IFA re-iterated the fundamental importance of farm schemes to farm incomes. “We need increased funding for schemes such as TAMS and ANC and we cannot have linear cuts to any schemes as we had last year,” he said.

“Among the other key priorities we emphasised were a permanent RZLT exemption for active farmers. We also raised the need to focus Agricultural Relief on genuine farmers and increase inheritance thresholds, and to widen use of accelerated capital allowances to facilitate investment that improve on-farm efficiency.”