Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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482. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when a response will issue in relation to representations made regarding old young farmers (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22197/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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With regard to the representations on behalf of your constituent the following is the situation.

In accordance with the EU regulations governing the ‘young farmer’ priority category of the National Reserve, 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.

Applications under Phase 2 of the National Reserve in respect of the category referred to as ‘old young farmers’ opened on 1^stApril 2015 and closed for receipt of applications on 29^thMay 2015. Old young farmers are defined as farmers who established their holding in 2008 or 2009, who comply with the definition of ‘young farmer’ for the purposes of the National Reserve young farmer priority category, but who missed out on both the Young Farmer Installation Scheme which closed for applications in 2008 and the priority category of ‘young farmer’ under the National Reserve which includes farmers who commenced farming since 2010.

As outlined in your representations and confirmed by Departmental records, the date of establishment of the holding of your constituent in 2001 does not render him eligible for participation in the Old Young Farmer category of the National Reserve. However, as he holds low value entitlements he will benefit under the process of convergence under the Basic Payment Scheme whereby the value of his entitlements will increase over the five years of the scheme and he will also benefit from the associated greening payment.