The Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers, has been urged to “remember that rural Ireland exists” in his new role.
The Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway, Michael Fitzmaurice, also called in the Dáil on Minister Chambers and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to “bring confidence” to the agricultural sector as the new minister for finance.
With the countdown well underway to the next Budget Day in the Autumn and numerous pre-budget submissions already on this desk, Minister Chambers’ immediate focus will be on the Summer Economic Statement, expected in less than two weeks’ time, which will outline the Government’s strategy.
Deputy Fitzmaurice said that in relation to agriculture “everyone has been kicking it in recent years”.
“I ask Deputy Chambers to show confidence to those farmers when he brings forward his budgets and make sure they are remembered and thought of,” he said.
Minister
The Independent TD for Roscommon-Galway also referenced Minister Chamber’s predecessor, former Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, who has been nominated as Ireland’s next member of the European Commission.
Deputy Fitzmaurice asked him to “bat as hard as he can for this country”.
“I know he has to do it for every country as a commissioner but many crossroads are coming up for Ireland, such as the derogation and various pieces of legislation such as the Nature Restoration Law and various other measures,” he said.
Meanwhile Macra yesterday (Wednesday, June 26) hosted its annual lobbying day in Dublin where it invited members of the Houses of the Oireachtas to engage with the organisation on its pre-budget submission.
Macra president Elaine Houlihan said it has identified five key areas that need to “be addressed in the coming budget, or we will be turning out the lights on rural Ireland.”
She said the five areas are:
- Agricultural supports for young farmers;
- General practice healthcare;
- Housing;
- Transport;
- Rural Wellbeing.
Houlihan also added that the organisation’s pre-budget submission highlights why it believes the Macra Succession Scheme could play a vital role in revitalising rural communities and family farms.
It wants to see funding in Budget 2025 for a pilot succession scheme, that it claims “would change the farming demographic from having more farmers over 80 than under 35 to something more sustainable”.