Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 19 February 2014
181. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the single farm payment; the changes there are to this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8467/14]
View answerThe scheme year 2014 is the last year in which the Single Payment Scheme will be applied. All existing entitlements expire on the 31 December 2014 and a new set of entitlements will be allocated in 2015 to those who are eligible to participate in the new Basic Payment Scheme.
Under the new Regulation, Ireland will implement:
- The Basic Payment Scheme
- Greening
- Young Farmers Scheme
- Coupled Support for Protein Crops
In addition, Ireland will establish a National Reserve which will allocate entitlements to eligible persons under the Basic Payment Scheme.
The payment that a farmer receives under the new Direct Payment system is no longer a ‘single payment’ but will be a combination of payments arising from at least two schemes, the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening. Farmers who qualify as ‘young farmers’ will also receive a payment under the Young Farmers Scheme.
To participate in the Basic Payment Scheme and related schemes a person must be an ‘active farmer’ as defined in the Direct Payment Regulation.
Any farmer who received a direct payment in 2013 (Single Payment, Grassland Sheep Scheme, Burren Life Scheme, Beef Data Scheme) is automatically eligible to receive an allocation of entitlements under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015. Ireland will also allocate entitlements to farmers who never held entitlements under the Single Payment Scheme, either owned or leased, but who were actively farming in 2013.
The number of entitlements that will be allocated to a farmer under the new Basic Payment Scheme will be based on the number of eligible hectares the farmer declares in 2013 and 2015, whichever is less.
The value of entitlements that will be allocated to a farmer in 2015 will be based on a percentage of the value held by the farmer in 2014. As of yet it has not been decided whether the ‘value’ will be based on the total value of ‘entitlements’ held by a farmer in 2014 or on the value of the ‘payments’ received by a farmer in 2014. Similarly the status of ‘leased entitlements’ remains the subject of negotiation at EU level.
All entitlements held under the Basic Payment Scheme are subject to convergence whereby low value entitlements will be increased while high value entitlements will be reduced over the five years of the Scheme. All entitlements must reach a minimum entitlement value of 60% of the national average entitlement value by 2019.
To qualify for participation in the Young Farmers Scheme, a farmer must be aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme, be setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the Basic Payment Scheme application and have successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent.
I have recently established the 2015 Direct Payments Information Centre which any member of the farming community may contact at 0761 064438 or CAPdirectpayments@agriculture.gov.ie to discuss their individual circumstances in more detail.
