Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The current EU regulations already allow farmers who are over age for the young farmer scheme to access entitlements if they are starting out in farming and such a scheme is operated in Ireland.

Since 2015, the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve has provided for an allocation of payment entitlements to successful applicants under the two priority categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’. The ‘young farmer’ category of the National Reserve operates under the same age limit of 40 years old as applies to the Young Farmers Scheme.

There is no age limit with regard to applicants under the ‘new entrant to farming’ category of the National Reserve. A new entrant is required to have commenced their present agricultural activity within the previous two calendar years and not have had any agricultural activity in his/her own name and at his/her own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity.

Successful applicants to the National Reserve receive an allocation of payment entitlements on land for which they hold no entitlements and/or a top up on the value of existing entitlements held by the successful applicant, where these are below the national average value, to bring the entitlements up to the national average value. Successful applicants under the new entrant to farming category of the National Reserve are also required to satisfy requirements with regard to agricultural education and off-farm income.

Ireland proposes to continue this provision for new entrants under the next CAP but the final shape of the new CAP has yet to be decided.