Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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362. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide his response to reports of biodiversity levels in the Burren dropping sharply in the past ten months; if he is aware of this shift in results occurring since the transition of the Burren Programme to ACRES; if he will outline what engagement he has carried out with farmers and stakeholders in the Burren area in response to this update; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49325/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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My Department’s agri-environment scheme under the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027, ACRES, has been designed and developed using the learnings from the Burren Programme, and from other projects including the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) initiative.

The core feature of the Co-operation element of ACRES is the mainstreaming of a habitats- and results-based approach, leveraging the positive actions from programmes like the Burren Programme and other EIPs into a large-scale agri-environment scheme, in order to deliver a much larger environmental benefit. Using a habitats-based approach, the Scheme will contribute to improving biodiversity, climate, air, and water quality outcomes.? ?

The Burren Programme had a participation rate of just over 300 farmers.? In ACRES, over 1,000 farmers to date, representing a 300% increase, are participating in the ACRES Burren Aran Co-operation (CP) Zone. Increasing farmer participation numbers to this level requires a balance to be struck to ensure that as many farmers as possible can join - thereby increasing the amount of land covered - while ensuring the achievement of the maximum possible additional environmental benefit.

Under the Burren Programme, 11,000 hectares of species-rich habitats were assessed, whereas it is expected that over 40,000 hectares of high-nature value farmland will be assessed under ACRES CP in the Burren Aran area. This represents a significant upscaling in environmental monitoring and assessment in the region.

Results-based payments will form the core payment paid to participants in ACRES in the Burren area. The land was scored over the summer months, using a range of 10 scorecards specifically designed for ACRES. Officials of my Department worked closely with the CP Team in the Burren Aran region, along with the other seven teams, to develop the scorecards. The scores achieved in all the CP Zones are currently being processed, with an analysis of the scores to commence once payments are substantially underway.

In addition to this, a selection of Non-productive Investments (NPIs) has been made available to ACRES CP participants. NPIs can be used to improve field scores - thereby also improving payments - and to support habitats and species. It is open to participants in all Co-operation Project areas to discuss NPIs with their approved ACRES advisors, who may draw and save NPIs in participants’ Annual Works Plans ahead of shortly submitting the plans.

The strong interest expressed by Burren farmers in applying to join ACRES means the learnings gained from the Burren Programme and other EIP projects can be applied to a greater number of farms.? The broader reach of the new Scheme will therefore contribute to improving biodiversity, climate, air and water quality over a greater area of the Burren and Aran Islands.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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363. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the young farmer scheme, if there is any flexibility for farmers who are aged under 40 years and have a green certificate, but who have been on the herd number for more than five years, given that many young farmers may face time and financial restraints in completing their green certificate within this time period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49326/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Young Farmers Scheme operated from 2015 to 2022 and has been replaced with effect from 2023 by the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers. As set down in the EU Regulations governing the operation of both schemes, the purpose of the schemes is to provide an income support to young farmers commencing their agricultural activities and after the initial setting-up. The support should only cover the initial period of life of the business and be granted for a maximum duration shortly after the initial setting up.

EU Regulation 1307/2013 governing the operation of the Young Farmers Scheme defined a young farmer to include those who are setting up a holding for the first time as head of the holding or who have already set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of an application for support.

For the new CAP from 2023 Member States were required to set down a definition of a young farmer in their CAP Strategic Plan to include an upper age limit of not more than 40, the conditions for being head of holding and the appropriate training or skills required. EU Regulation 2115/2021 provided Member States with the option to allow young farmers who had received support under the Young Farmers Scheme to rollover into the new Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers for the remainder of their 5-year term of eligibility under the scheme.

To maintain consistency in the definition of a young farmer for support under the CAP 2015-2022 and the new CAP from 2023, Ireland defined a young farmer as having a maximum age limit of 40, setting up a holding as head of the holding, solely or jointly, for the first time or have set up such a holding during the preceding five years and meeting a standard of a recognised course of education in agriculture giving rise to an award at Level 6 or equivalent on the National Framework of Qualifications. This definition of a young farmer was approved as part of the overall approval of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan by the European Commission. To be considered as an eligible young farmer, the applicant must meet all of the requirements set out in the definition of a young farmer. There are no plans to amend the definition of a young farmer as set out in the CAP Strategic Plan.

Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)
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364. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with regard to the young farmers scheme with regard to the terms and conditions set out for the scheme which states that the scheme is implemented pursuant to relevant EU Regulation and will be operated by his Department if eligibility criteria requiring young farmers to have been a herd owner for less than five years is a requirement under the relevant regulations or can be adjusted by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49327/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Young Farmers Scheme operated from 2015 to 2022 and has been replaced with effect from 2023 by the Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers. As set down in the EU Regulations governing the operation of both schemes, the purpose of the schemes is to provide an income support to young farmers commencing their agricultural activities and after the initial setting-up. The support should only cover the initial period of life of the business and be granted for a maximum duration shortly after the initial setting up.

EU Regulation 1307/2013 governing the operation of the Young Farmers Scheme defined a young farmer to include those who are setting up a holding for the first time as head of the holding or who have already set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of an application for support.

For the new CAP from 2023 Member States were required to set down a definition of a young farmer in their CAP Strategic Plan to include an upper age limit of not more than 40, the conditions for being head of holding and the appropriate training or skills required. EU Regulation 2115/2021 provided Member States with the option to allow young farmers who had received support under the Young Farmers Scheme to rollover into the new Complementary Income Support for Young Farmers for the remainder of their 5-year term of eligibility under the scheme.

To maintain consistency in the definition of a young farmer for support under the CAP 2015-2022 and the new CAP from 2023, Ireland defined a young farmer as setting up a holding as head of the holding, solely or jointly, for the first time or have set up such a holding during the preceding five years. The definition of a young farmer was approved as part of the overall approval of Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan by the European Commission. There are no plans to amend the definition of a young farmer as set out in the CAP Strategic Plan.