Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise an issue on behalf of young farmers who were encouraged into farming, to get their green certs at a cost of €3,000 and who leased very expensive land on six year leases to qualify for what they thought were the entitlements that were going to be given to them. The scheme was opened in 2015 but even though it was supposed to be open again in 2016, that has not happened. I had a response from the Minister this morning in relation to 2017 and it is not very encouraging. These people are desperate. They are young farmers with very little money who are committed to very expensive leases with no entitlements or support. I ask the Taoiseach to talk to the Minister for Agriculture and Food to resolve this.

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