Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for choosing this topical issue. I know the Minister is attuned to the needs of young farmers and that he supported them in the recent Common Agricultural Policy review. For the first time in the history of the CAP there is a chapter dedicated to young farmers, which consists of a mandatory top-up on payments in the first years of farming. Macra na Feirme, which is very supportive and has a mandate on behalf of young farmers, had worked with the Minister and as backbenchers we fully supported the plight of young farmers in terms of generational change of farms, that we have qualified people and that the supports are put in place to ensure that farmers inheriting land, taking over the farms at home or those who have the ability to buy or lease land on a long-term basis would have assistance towards developing their farm business.

In the CAP agreement provision of 2% of funds under Pillar 1 was provided, and a mandatory 25% top-up on single farm payment for new entrants for farmers under 40 for the first five years of installation. I very much welcome those initiatives. However, a cohort of farmers known as the old young farmers have missed out on the previous installation aid scheme that was closed by the previous Fianna Fáil Government and, unfortunately, they will not benefit from the measures to be enacted under the CAP reform programme. Those individuals feel aggrieved that they have missed one boat and are now missing a second boat because it will not let them on board. Is any other measure available to provide them with additional supports either within the CAP programme with regard to easier access to the discretionary fund-----

See this speech in context