Written answers
Thursday, 10 December 2015
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Agriculture Schemes
Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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102. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if simplification in the rules applying to young farmer schemes across the European Union, as announced in recent weeks (details supplied), will allow the Irish authorities to decide the criteria for young farmers, for example for the young farmer capital investment scheme, if so, when such changes will be effected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44512/15]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The statement made by EU Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan on the 16 November will not have an impact on the eligibility criteria already set out in the Terms and Conditions of the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme. That statement dealt with providing access to schemes for legal entities controlled by young farmers, and these are already facilitated under the Irish Scheme.
Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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103. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the national reserve for new entrants scheme and the case of a person (detail supplied) in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44524/15]
Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The process of deciding objective criteria for the National Reserve is carried out in consultation with the Direct Payments Advisory Committee which includes members of the main farming bodies and advisory services. After consultation with this Committee it was decided that an off farm income limit of €40,000 would be applied to all applicants under the 2015 National Reserve. The corresponding off farm income limit under the previous National Reserve was €30,000. Applicants under the 2015 National Reserve also have the flexibility of choosing either the 2013 or 2014 tax year, whichever is more advantageous. Applicants must comply with all eligibility criteria including off farm income criteria in order to be deemed eligible to qualify for an allocation of entitlements under the National Reserve. By increasing the off-farm income limit and granting a choice of reference years, I have granted the maximum possible flexibility regarding income limits for the National Reserve. Officials from my Department have been in contact with the person named regarding his off-farm income as submitted in support of his National Reserve application.
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