Written answers

Wednesday, 1 March 2017

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

TAMS Eligibility

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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286. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if young farmers will receive a 20% top up under TAMS as trained young farmers in view of the growing numbers of young farmers that are labouring intensely in the industry but due to various rules and bye laws are not qualifying for many supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10649/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Young Farmers who meet the eligibility criteria for the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme measure under TAMS II benefit from a grant rate of 60% as distinct from the general grant rate of 40% for other TAMS measures.

For the purposes of the TAMS II – Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme Regulation 1305/2013 Article 2 (1)(n) defines “young farmer” as follows:

 “Means a person who is not more than 40 years of age at the moment of submitting the application, possesses adequate occupational skills and competence and is setting up for the first time in an agricultural holding as head of that holding.”

The Rural Development Programme contains the following text “Beneficiaries will be active farmers, with the possibility of groups of farmers as beneficiaries, with young farmers (as defined in Article 2(1)(n) of the Rural Development Regulation No 1305/2013) benefiting from an increased rate of aid. In order to ensure that as many young farmers as possible can avail of the enhanced scheme, it is proposed to use the maximum flexibility available and accept applications from young farmers who commenced farming during the five years preceding date of application. Registered Farm Partnerships and Legal Persons will also be potential beneficiaries under the scheme, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria.”

Under this measure therefore, it is required that to meet the eligibility criteria farmers must meet the requirements of set-up for the first time within five years of the date of receipt of an application under this scheme. The date of set-up means the date an applicant first applied for a herd number or other Department identifier.

Photo of Jackie CahillJackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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288. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the young farmers group are being excluded from single farm payment top up; the reason they cannot be included in TAMS in view of the fact the Commission has recognised that they meet the criteria for the national reserve and, therefore, they should qualify for TAMS top up; if he will address the Commission's inconsistency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10651/17]

Photo of Michael CreedMichael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The National Reserve measure of the Basic Payment Scheme provides for an allocation of entitlements to eligible applicants. EU Regulations governing the National Reserve provides that the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’ must receive priority access to the National Reserve. A young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the yearwhen they first submit an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. (emphasis added).

The Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve also include an optional provision whereby Member States may use the National Reserve to allocate new entitlements or give a top-up on the value of existing entitlements for persons who suffer from a ‘Specific Disadvantage’. The application of this optional use of the Reserve for non-priority categories is dependent on the availability of funds within the National Reserve. 

Ireland successfully negotiated the inclusion of the group known as ‘Old Young Farmers’ as a category suffering from ‘specific disadvantage’ on a once-off basis under the 2015 National Reserve. Old Young Farmers were defined as farmers who established their holding between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2009, and who, due to the timeframe of setting up their holding did not benefit from either Installation Aid or the ‘young farmer’ category of the National Reserve.  

The Young Farmers Scheme provides an additional payment for farmers who meet the definition of ‘young farmer’.  The definition of a ‘young farmer’ under the Young Farmers Scheme is the same as the definition applying to a young farmer under the National Reserve.  As the Old Young Farmer group had commenced agricultural activity more than 5 years prior to submitting an application under the Basic Payment Scheme they were not deemed eligible for consideration under the Young Farmers Scheme.

Young Farmers who meet the eligibility criteria for the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme measure under TAMS II benefit from a grant rate of 60% as distinct from the general grant rate of 40% for other TAMS measures.

For the purposes of the TAMS II – Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme Regulation 1305/2013 Article 2 (1)(n) defines “young farmer” as follows:

“Means a person who is not more than 40 years of age at the moment of submitting the application, possesses adequate occupational skills and competence and is setting up for the first time in an agricultural holding as head of that holding.” (emphasis added).

In the Rural Development Programme the following text was included; “Beneficiaries will be active farmers, with the possibility of groups of farmers as beneficiaries, with young farmers (as defined in Article 2(1)(n) of the Rural Development Regulation No 1305/2013) benefiting from an increased rate of aid. In order to ensure that as many young farmers as possible can avail of the enhanced scheme, it is proposed to use the maximum flexibility available and accept applications from young farmers who commenced farming during the five years preceding date of application. Registered Farm Partnerships and Legal Persons will also be potential beneficiaries under the scheme, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria.”

Under this measure therefore, it is required that to meet the eligibility criteria farmers must meet the requirements of set-up for the first time within 5 years of the date of receipt of an application under this scheme. The date of set-up means the date an applicant first applied for a herd number or other Department identifier.

I would like to clarify that, unfortunately, the Department does not have the scope to align the TAMS scheme definition with the conditions of the Young Farmer Scheme as they fall under different Regulations with different definitions.

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