For Direct Payment support measures, such as the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers, a young farmer is defined as having a maximum age limit of 40, meet the conditions for head of the agricultural holding, and hold the appropriate training and/or skills required. For young farmer support schemes administered by my Department the appropriate training and/or skills are defined as a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at Level 6 or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications.
The eligibility of a young farmer based on reaching no more than 40 years of age at any time during the calendar year in which they submit a first application has been a requirement under young farmer Direct Payment supports since 2015. With regard to the requirement for an agricultural educational qualification, some flexibility was offered to applicants in 2015 and 2016 whereby they were not obliged to have completed their education course prior to the closing date for the support scheme applications. However, The EU Commission advised Ireland that the flexible approach that had been put in place did not fit with the annual logic of the Direct Payments and was a risk of non-compliance with requirements. Therefore, since 2017, successful applicants under the young farmer Direct Payment supports must have completed their agricultural educational qualification by the closing date for submission of applications under the schemes. This consistency of approach since 2017 has provided certainty for prospective applicants under the schemes.
To allow some flexibility in a case where an applicant has fully completed all aspects of their course by the scheme closing date but has not yet been verified as successful or received final certification, a Confirmation of Education Form can be submitted with the young farmer’s application. This form is available to download on the Department’s website page or from the link within the online application system. The form is completed by the applicant and also by a representative of the college or course provider to confirm that the applicant has fully completed all aspects of the course by the scheme closing date.
