James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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649. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has given further consideration to his proposals to exclude young farmers (details supplied) who were farming pre-2013 from the reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18724/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Under the National Reserve measure of the EU Direct Payments Regulation, a ‘young farmer’ is defined as follows;

- S/he is aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme

- S/he is setting up an agricultural holding for the first time or has set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of the Basic Payment Scheme application

This definition makes no reference to the year 2013 and persons who established their holding prior to that year may qualify as ‘young farmers’ and may receive an allocation of new entitlements from the National Reserve or a top up on their existing entitlements.