Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 March 2015
139. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) in County Kerry will be accepted as a new entrant for allocations from the national reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12469/15]
View answerDepartment records indicate that the person named above has been farming since 2001. In accordance with relevant EU Regulations to be eligible under the New Entrant priority category of the National Reserve an applicant must meet the following conditions:
- S/he is participating in the Basic Payment Scheme in the year in which s/he applies to the National Reserve;
- S/he must have commenced the present agricultural activity in the 2013 calendar year or any later year;
- S/he did not have any agricultural activity in his/her own name and at his/her own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity;
- S/he must submit an application for the Basic Payment Scheme not later than two years after the calendar year in which they commenced their agricultural activity;
- S/he has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent. Alternatively s/he must commit to commencing such a course by 30th September 2016;
- S/he has a gross off-farm income that does not exceed €40,000 in one of the tax years 2013 or 2014.
As the named person commenced his farming activities in 2001 he, unfortunately, falls outside the scope of the New Entrant category of the National Reserve. The individual may, however, be eligible to apply for an allocation of entitlements under the Scottish Derogation, where he can show that he has never previously held entitlements and can provide verifiable evidence that in 2013 he was involved in dairy, beef, sheep or arable production. The Scottish Derogation will be open for applications in early April of this year and the Terms and Conditions of same will be available at that time.
For further information, the individual in question can contact my Department directly at 0761 064 438 or CAPDirectPayments@agriculture.gov.ie and my staff will be glad to provide assistance.
