Few professions view 40 as being young, apart from farming and politics

The 2024 Complementary Support for Young Farmers and the National Reserve has no off-farm income limit, and can earn an extra €15,000 per year combined for five years for a 40-year-old with access to 50ha.

The resignation of An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, last month took many commentators by surprise, but Varadkar had always stated that he didn’t want to be in politics after the age of 50.

The fact that he has resigned aged only 45, claiming that he had given the job his all, is interesting. Top-level politicians rarely stand down unless they’re pushed.

Varadkar became Taoiseach at 38, his first term dominated with guiding the country through both Covid and Brexit.

He dealt with these monumental issues for the country so ably that when he completed his first term, the June 2020 Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI opinion poll showed that he had received a record-breaking 75pc approval rating as Taoiseach.

That he achieved so much in his first term while still in his late 30s deserves due recognition, but he may have to wait for the dust to settle in order for his contribution to Irish society to be judged fairly.

At 37 years old, Simon Harris is the new leader of Fine Gael and will soon replace Varadkar as the youngest-ever Taoiseach.

The contrast with Joe Biden at 81 and Donald Trump at 77, who have dominated American politics for almost the last decade, is stark.

I’d much prefer to see young politicians come in and give it their all for a short period than have old politicians with an average age of 79 deciding the fate of a country.

In terms of career-building, a person in their late 30s is consolidating experience built up in their 20s and 30s, which is vital for development and progression in their chosen field.

Few professions view 40 as young, apart from farming (and politics!).

Lowering the average age of farmers is always seen as a target for policymakers.

Macra — who in recent years dropped the “na Feirme” part of their name to reflect their membership base — has campaigned for years to get supports for young farmers and new entrants to farming.

Yet the average age is showing no sign of falling.

These supports, instead of being funded by new money being added to the budget, have been funded by reductions to farm payments to other farmers.

Taking money from established farmers that have been committed to farming for all of their careers from a young age makes no sense.

Many have sought an agricultural-based training in their teens, invested their time and money in their farms through their 20s and 30s, built their knowledge and experience, and rely on farming for their sole income — but continue to face financial cuts to fund “young” new-entrant 40-year-old farmers.

Greater efforts need to be made to attract young people in their 20s into farming, where they can build a career, rather than providing supplementary income to a 40-year-old new-entrant recipient who will likely continue in their main non-farming career.

Larger payments need to be targeted at applicants in their 20s, to encourage energetic young farmers to take the leap into running their own farm business from a young age.

There may be more political support for the 40-year limit, but it has not proven successful in lowering the average age of farmers.

As evidenced by not one but two Taoisigh in their 30s, 40 is not young in terms of career-building.

‘Many who invested time and money in their farms in their 20s and 30s face financial cuts to fund “young” new-entrant 40year-old farmers’