Minister Heydon publishes the report of the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming

National Ploughing Championships 2025

At the National Ploughing Championships today, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, published the report of the Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming.

The challenge of generational renewal is widely recognised at both a national and EU level. The Programme for Government prioritises supporting inter-generational farm succession. Food Vision 2030, our shared strategy for the agri-food sector, states that generational renewal in farming is critically important to ensure the future viability and social sustainability of the Irish agri-food sector and of rural Ireland.

There are a number of supports for generational renewal currently available to farmers under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) 2023-2027.

These supports are complemented by a suite of strong national taxation measures and access to finance supports, as well as advisory and education and training supports.

Despite these significant supports, the age demographics of the sector are not improving. The Commission on Generational Renewal in Farming was established to examine these issues and it has completed its work.

Publishing the report, Minister Heydon said: “Farm succession is a complex issue and there are many factors that impact farmers’ decisions.

That is why the Commission was established and they have produced a thorough analysis and made 31 recommendations across a wide range of areas including CAP Supports; Pensions; Taxation; Access to Finance; Access to Land; Collaborative Arrangements; Advisory Services; Education and Training; Gender Balance; and the Overall Attractiveness of the Sector. An implementation group within my Department will now carefully consider these recommendations and will engage with agricultural stakeholders and the relevant public bodies.”

The Minister added: “I would like to thank the Chair, Aidan O’Driscoll, and all the members of the Commission for their commitment and hard work. Attracting the next generation of farmers is critical to ensure that the agri-food sector remains vibrant and sustainable into the future and this analysis ensures that we have a comprehensive, well-considered foundation for future policy on generational renewal.”

The Land Mobility Service has welcomed today’s publication of the Commission on Generational Renewal’s report, while warning that delivery and funding of proven solutions will be critical to ensuring farming’s future.

Service Manager Patrick Brady said the report highlights challenges that farmers and policymakers have long known: a lack of land access, succession barriers, and the urgent need to support the next generation.

“There’s no need for the Government to reinvent the wheel. We have the service, it works, it works very well, just fund it,” said Brady.

The Land Mobility Service, which has successfully facilitated over one thousand farm partnerships, leasing agreements, and succession arrangements across the country, has been widely recognised as a practical, on-the-ground model for supporting young farmers and enabling older farmers to step back with security.

Brady stressed that while reports and recommendations are valuable, what matters now is action:

“We need to see the Government commit to scaling up the supports that already deliver results. The Land Mobility Service provides the structures and guidance families need to make succession and land mobility a reality. The demand is there — all that is missing is adequate funding.”

The Service is calling for clear financial backing from Government to ensure the continuation and expansion of its work, warning that failure to act risks stalling generational renewal just as momentum is building.

“Today’s report must not gather dust,” Brady concluded. “Farmers young and old need certainty. The solution is in front of us — now is the time to deliver.”