Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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648. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to an issue concerning persons who have started the green certificate course (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17530/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2015 National Reserve an exception was made which allowed students to qualify under the scheme before completion of their agricultural course. However, this exception did not receive the approval of the EU Commission. Consequently, in order to qualify for the 2017 National Reserve successful applicants must have successfully completed a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at FETAC level 6 or its equivalent by the 15 May 2017.

Where an applicant has fully completed all aspects of their course by 15 May but has not yet been verified as successful or received final certification, a Confirmation of Education Form should be submitted with the application. This form is available to download through the online application system and is also available on my Department’s website.

Decisions in relation to the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme, including educational qualifications, are made in consultation with the Direct Payments Advisory Committee which includes members of the main farming bodies and advisory services. Full Terms and Conditions of the 2017 National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme are available on my Department's website.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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649. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide a copy of the correspondence from the European Union refusing to allow the State to give national reserve to a person who enrolled in a course in 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17531/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with EU Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve and Young farmers Scheme, Members States may define additional eligibility criteria as regards appropriate skills, experience or education.

To ensure that the benefits of the ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant’ categories are targeted at those who have a genuine interest in farming as a career, Ireland included agricultural education at FETAC level 6 standard or its equivalent as a requirement to qualify for the schemes. In order to maximise the number of young farmers for eligibility under the 2015 National Reserve and Young Farmers schemes, it was decided that any person who met the other qualifying requirements and commenced a relevant agricultural course anytime up to and including September 2016 would be accepted under the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme in 2015. The increased flexibility would ensure that the benefits of the ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant’ categories would be widely available even to those who were unable to complete their agricultural course by 2015.

Ireland was required to notify the EU Commission of the additional educational eligibility criteria being applied to the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme, and the increased flexibility in relation to same. The EU Commission subsequently advised Ireland that the flexible arrangements that would allow an applicant to commence their agricultural education after the date of submission of an application under the National Reserve and/or Young Farmers Scheme did not fit with the ‘annual logic of the Direct Payments’ and was a risk of non-compliance with requirements.

In order to ensure that no young farmer would be disadvantaged by this ruling and in order to comply with the notification from the EU Commission thus avoiding the risk of a financial correction for Ireland, extensive efforts were put in place by the Department and Teagasc at the end of 2015. This resulted in applicants to the 2015 National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme being provided with a placement on an agricultural education course prior to 31 December 2015.

A copy of the correspondence referred to will be made available directly to the Deputy.