News & Press Room

Macra na Feirme National President Alan Jagoe has said the current model of means testing designed and operated by Teagasc for farmers to apply for grant support for their children to attend agricultural college education must be supported and maintained.  This system must remain the benchmark for assessing farmers incomes for the purpose of grant aid eligibility, he said. 

 Mr Jagoe said, “Education has a vital role to play in the future development of farming and access to education must be facilitated through a fair assessment system that reflects the nature of farm businesses and their available income.”

  “Teagasc have implemented a system for means testing which is a three year averaging system and much fairer for farmers, given price and income volatility.  Means testing by bodies such as VEC’s do not reflect the business of farming.  Farm accounts for Revenue should be the basis on which assessment is made as this is a truer reflection of what resources farmers have available to fund their sons’ or daughters’ agricultural education.”