Noel Grealish (Galway West, Independent)
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553. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of his Department’s engagement with the European Commission regarding the forgotten farmer; if he has sought recognition from the European Commission for forgotten farmers as a group with specific disadvantage under the national reserve in the same way that old young farmers are currently provided for; if not, when he plans to do so; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28589/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Preliminary analysis carried out by my Department shows that some 3,900 farmers fall into the category of Forgotten Farmer. This group is defined as farmers who are under 40 years of age, established their holdings prior to 2008 and who hold low value entitlements. An estimation of the cost of increasing the value of existing entitlements to the National Average for these 3,900 farmers stands at over €12 million.

There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding of €24 million had been utilised under the 2015 scheme. In order to provide for a National Reserve in 2017 funding is required to replenish the Reserve. EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that funding for the replenishment of the National Reserve may be obtained by means of surrender of entitlements that remain unused by farmers for two consecutive years and by clawback derived following the sale of entitlements without land. It is envisaged that funding derived from these two sources will be limited. The Regulations also provide for the application of a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements to replenish the National Reserve. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding has been established. 

Under the National Reserve priority access must be given to the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’. Support for other categories such as those that may be regarded as suffering from ‘specific disadvantage’ can only be considered once the two mandatory categories have been catered for. Decisions in relation to potential categories for inclusion under any National Reserve in 2017 can only be considered once the overall position on potential funding has been established.

The Programme for Partnership Government contains a commitment to pursue  the category of Forgotten Farmers at EU level.