Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2015
277. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he has put in place to support old young farmers who missed out on the installation grant in 2008 and, in view of the fact that they have been farming in excess of five years, are missing the incentives for new young farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy. [7677/15]
View answerI am aware that there is a group of young farmers who established their holdings in 2008 and 2009 and who missed out on the Installation Aid scheme which closed to applications in 2008. I intend to prioritise their applications under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation scheme (TAMS), with grant-aid payable at 40%, being introduced under the new RDP. EU Commission approval is awaited on the proposed schemes under TAMS. Under Pillar 1 the Regulation provides that young farmers and new entrants are priority categories under the National Reserve. It also provides scope to include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a ‘Specific Disadvantage’. With regard to the group of young farmers who established their holding in 2008 and 2009, but who missed out on both the Young Farmer Installation Scheme which closed to applications in 2008 and the Young Farmer priority category under the National Reserve which includes young farmers who commenced since 2010, I am glad to say that this category can be considered as a ‘group suffering from specific disadvantage’.
The positive result of this development is that these young farmers will be eligible to apply under the second phase of the National Reserve to be given new entitlements or be given a top-up on the value of existing entitlements.
Applications will be made available in early April 2015. This is a very welcome outcome that I feel will address an anomaly in the system and allow for fair and equal treatment for this particular category of young active farmers.
