Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Large numbers of young people are enrolled in agricultural colleges. Over the past six years, the number has increased from 600 to 1,450 per year. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of young men and women who want to get into farming and we need to offer them a future. That is why an Irish proposal was taken on by the Commission as part of the Common Agricultural Policy reform to ask countries to set aside 2% of pillar 1 single farm payment money over the next five years for top-up payments for young farmers under the age of 40. In other words, single farm payments for young farmers under the age of 40 will be topped up by 25%, up to a maximum of five years. It is like an installation aid scheme except that it is sponsored by European money. Ireland's proposal was supported by Hungary and the Commission has taken it on. Irrespective of whether it is mandatory or voluntary, it will be implemented if I am still Minister. We need to support young farmers in terms of giving them a financial advantage to allow them to invest in expanding their businesses. That will boost the realisation of the targets in Food Harvest 2020. Pillar 2 also provides opportunities to support young farmers through a series of programmes supported by rural development funds.

In terms of national policy, despite all the difficult decisions taken in the budget, we acted strategically to support young farmers by encouraging the consolidation of farms, and maintaining the preferential treatment they get in terms of stock relief, exemption from stamp duty and partnerships where sons and daughters work with their parents to manage the farm. A number of positive initiatives are being taken in the interests of young farmers to address the generational problem.

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