Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans to review the criteria blocking young farmers who are under 40 years of age, but who have been farming for more than five years, from accessing measures under the new Common Agricultural Policy programme for young farmers, including the national reserve for top-up entitlements; the reason for their exclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5268/16]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the regulations governing the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme, a young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when he/she first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. This definition applies to all Member States and my Department has no discretion with regard to its implementation in Ireland. The status of ‘young farmer’ introduced under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy is designed specifically to assist young farmers in the initial stages of establishing a farming enterprise. All farmers who hold low value entitlements including those under 40 years of age will benefit from an increase in the value of their entitlements under the convergence process of the Basic Payment Scheme between 2015 and 2019. Under the convergence process farmers who hold entitlements with an Initial Unit Value below 90% of the Basic Payment Scheme national average will see the value of their entitlements increase so that all entitlements will have reached at least 60% of the national average of entitlements by 2019.

With regard to qualification for the enhanced 60% rate of aid under TAMS, the definition of ‘young farmer’ laid down for the purposes of any capital investment schemes is also that farmers must be below 40 years of age at the time of application and have been set up in farming within the previous five years. Unfortunately, this means that some farmers will not qualify for the enhanced rate of aid under TAMS. However, any young farmers who do not qualify for the enhanced rate of aid under the dedicated Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme will be prioritised for aid under the various other new TAMS schemes which offers grants of 40% of investment costs. The following schemes are open for application to all farmers irrespective of age:

- Dairy Equipment Scheme

- Low emission Slurry Spreading

- Organic capital investment Scheme

- Animal welfare safety and nutrient storage Scheme

- Pig and poultry investment Scheme