Young Farmers Scheme Eligibility

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 May 2016

Wednesday, 25 May 2016

Questions (321)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

321. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will review the criteria blocking young farmers who are under 40 years of age but who have been farming for more than five years from accessing measures under the new Common Agricultural Policy programme for young farmers, including being able to apply for the national reserve and for top-up entitlements; the reason for their exclusion; the discussions he has had at European Union level concerning this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12119/16]

Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

In accordance with the EU Regulations governing the National Reserve and the Young Farmers Scheme, a young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. The regulation also provides that priority under the National Reserve is given to ‘young farmers’ and to ‘new entrants to farming’. A new entrant is defined as a farmer who commenced their agricultural activity during the previous two years and no age limit applies. The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve also 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’.

Following my Department’s consultation with the EU Commission, the then Minister announced in March 2015 that the group commonly known as “Old Young Farmers”, who established their holding between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009, and who, due to the timeframe of setting up their holding did not benefit from either the Installation Aid or the Young Farmer category of the National Reserve, can be considered as a ‘group suffering from specific disadvantage’. The result is that this group was eligible to apply under the National Reserve measure of the 2015 Basic Payment Scheme.

Eligibility for the Young Farmers Scheme has the same standard as applies to the ‘young farmer’ category of the National Reserve and is clearly defined in the EU Regulation. Eligibility is restricted to farmers who are under 40 years of age and commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting the Basic Payment Scheme application. My Department has no discretion in the implementation of this aspect of the Regulation.

The Programme for a Partnership Government contains a commitment to further pursue the category of “forgotten farmers” at an EU level.