Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 December 2015
120. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 330 of 16 July 2015, if forgotten farmers will have access to the national reserve and to enhanced benefits under the targeted agricultural modernisation scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43358/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn accordance with the regulations governing the National Reserve and 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. This definition applies to all Member States and my Department has no discretion with regard to its implementation in Ireland. The status of ‘young farmer’ introduced under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy is designed specifically to assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise.
The farmers in the group commonly referred to as ‘forgotten farmers’ are under 40, established their holdings prior to 2008 and hold low value entitlements. These farmers will benefit from an increase in the value of the entitlements under the convergence process between 2015 and 2019, whereby farmers who hold entitlements with an Initial Unit Value below 90% of the Basic Payment Scheme national average will see the value of their entitlements increase gradually over the five years of the scheme.
With regard to qualification for the enhanced 60% rate of aid under TAMS, the definition of ‘young farmer’ laid down for the purposes of any capital investment schemes is also that farmers must be below 40 years of age at the time of application and have been set up in farming within the previous five years. Unfortunately, this means that some farmers will not qualify for the enhanced rate of aid under TAMS. However, any young farmers who do not qualify for the enhanced rate of aid under the dedicated Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme will be prioritised for aid under the various other new TAMS schemes which offers grants of 40% of investment costs. The following schemes are open for application to all farmers irrespective of age:
- Dairy Equipment Scheme;
- Low emission Slurry Spreading;
- Organic capital investment Scheme;
- Animal welfare safety and nutrient storage Scheme;
- Pig and poultry investment Scheme.
