Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
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196. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if those involved in the young/old farmer, between 2008 and 2012, will be provided priority for single farm payment and installation aid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48482/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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EU Regulations governing the National Reserve measure of the Basic Payment Scheme provide that the categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant’ are dealt with as priority categories. A ‘young farmer’ is defined as follows for the purposes of the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme:

- 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

- S/he has successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent

A ‘new entrant’ is defined as a farmer who has commenced farming in the previous two years and who otherwise fulfils all the eligibility criteria regarding educational qualifications etc. Having provided for these two priority categories, Member States may propose additional categories for the National Reserve including a category to allocate payment entitlements to farmers in order to compensate them for ‘specific disadvantages’. My Department is currently examining the proposal that the category of farmers referred to in this question will be included under the ‘specific disadvantages’ category of the 2015 National Reserve.

Successful applicants to the National Reserve will receive an allocation of entitlements based on the eligible land declared on their 2015 Basic Payment Scheme application at a value equal to the national average value of entitlements in the year of application. Successful applicants who already hold entitlements which are below the national average value will receive a top-up whereby the value of those entitlements will be increased to the national average value.