Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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771. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a farmer would be eligible for the national reserve and young farmers scheme on leased land on which a previous lessee had availed of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15106/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The National Reserve provides for an allocation of payment entitlements on land on which the successful applicant holds no entitlements. This land is commonly referred to as ‘naked land’. Ireland is obliged to implement EU funded schemes under the CAP in line with EU Regulations governing the operation of the schemes. In this regard, there are EU Regulatory provisions governing Circumvention, or the artificial creation of conditions to obtain advantage under a scheme.

With regard to the National Reserve, the Terms and Conditions of the scheme refer to the regulatory requirements on circumvention and provide an example of circumvention as the removal of existing entitlements from land for the purpose of creating naked land upon which a National Reserve allocation may be made. My Department’s concern is where there is a clear and obvious attempt to artificially create conditions required to obtain advantage under the scheme.

National Reserve applications are assessed on a case by case basis, including an examination of the lands submitted in support of the application. Where these lands have been supported by payment entitlements in a previous year, these are further examined as part of a review of the previous claimant or beneficiary and the new applicant. This includes an examination of the ownership of the lands now declared as leased in, details of previous lessee and length of lease, the transfer of payment entitlements used in support of these lands, whether by sale or lease, and the duration of any lease.

A genuine application supported by either owned or leased land that is submitted in keeping with the spirit and intention of the National Reserve scheme is the basis on which my Department seeks to approve applications.

From 2023, the Young Farmers Scheme has been replaced by the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers. The new scheme from 2023 will provide payment based on eligible hectares declared by the applicant, subject to a maximum of 50 hectares, rather than payment based on the number of payment entitlements activated in the scheme year as was the case under the Young Farmers Scheme.