Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 February 2015

Thursday, 12 February 2015

Questions (124)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Question:

124. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer who gives a section of his farm to his child, as a new entrant to farming, can stack his own entitlements on his own land; if the child would be entitled to separate entitlements from the national reserve as a new entrant young farmer; if this young farmer would be entitled to the young farmers top-up on the basic payment and the greening payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6419/15]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Where a farmer has established entitlements on their owned holding, EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that the entitlements form part of the holding and may be transferred by sale, gift or lease using the Transfer of Entitlement or Private Contract Clause procedures provided by the Department and which are available on the Department’s website at www.agriculture.gov.ie. The consolidation/stacking of entitlements on owned land in order to create naked hectares for an allocation of entitlements from the National Reserve is not permitted under the Regulations.

In the event where entitlements, established in the normal way without stacking are below National Average value are transferred to an eligible young farmer, the entitlements will be topped up to the National Average value via the National Reserve on up to a maximum of 90 hectares. The associated greening payment will be made where eligible. The qualifying Young Farmer will also be eligible for the Young Farmer Scheme payment up to a maximum of 50 eligible hectares.