Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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410. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 274 of 17 November 2021, the reason for the upper age limit associated with enhanced TAMS for women in his proposed CAP strategic plan; if he will consider revising the limit and removing it entirely; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15752/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The measures put forward as part of the new CAP Strategic Plan (CSP) seek to address, inter alia, gender balance to ensure greater representation by women as farm holders in decision-making on farms and also seeks to address the need for generational renewal on farms.

Subject to the approval of the European Commission, it is proposed under an On-Farm Capital Investment Scheme under the CSP that a general grant rate of 40% will be available to all applicants for eligible investments. It is also proposed in the CSP that eligible young farmers and women farmers, who meet the eligibility criteria may qualify for grant aid at a rate of 60% to support generational renewal and gender balance.

The additional support available to young farmers is available to applicants subject to an upper age limit of 40 years. At the time of the previous PQ mentioned the proposed age limit for women farmers for the additional support was set at 55. The proposed age has now been increased to 66.

The proposed eligible female farmers are those:

- Aged between 18 years of age and 66 at any time during the calendar year in which an application for support is submitted.

- Meet the conditions for being head and having control of the holding;

- Meets the requirements for the appropriate training and/or skills required at application.

Applicants who do not meet the criteria above will remain eligible to submit an application under the On-Farm Capital investment scheme at the standard rate of 40%.

The Capital Investment Scheme, as is the case with all proposals under the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP), is in the process of development and is subject to the formal approval of the European Commission.