Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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703. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if an exception was made which allowed persons to qualify under the 2015 national reserve scheme before completion of their agricultural course even though this did not receive the approval of the European Commission subsequently; if such persons were permitted to remain in the 2015 national reserve and young farmers scheme that year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18321/17]

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, Member 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 meets 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 31st December 2015.