The deadline for commencing the Green Cert has been moved forward from 30 September 2016 to 31 December 2015. The cert is necessary in order to qualify for payment under the Young Farmer and National Reserve schemes.

Following the news on Monday of the change in deadline, the Irish Farmers Journal attempted to contact a number of agricultural colleges for comment.

The principal of one of the colleges we were able to get in touch with said he was not willing to comment, saying it is only “fresh news” and that he has been advised it is a matter for the Department of Agriculture.

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However, from this conversation, the Irish Farmers Journal understands there may be ways for some colleges to handle the suddenly increased numbers for this year based on the varying levels of demand for the Green Cert in different parts of the country.

Students, however, have been left in the dark. Johnny Connolly, a 34-year-old forestry farmer from Maynooth, says he enrolled for the full-time Green Cert forestry course starting in Ballyhaise College in September 2016. He spent all of Tuesday trying to contact Ballyhaise and finally succeeded in reaching the principal, John Kelly.

Kelly told him that there are 25 places left on the night course for the Green Cert that started in September and that he could join this course and catch up on the weeks he has missed. However, Connolly is currently abroad and has no way of ensuring his place on this course, which amounts to his last chance to qualify for the Young Farmer and National Reserve schemes – both of which he was hoping to enter.

“This is my last chance to enter these schemes,” he said. “I’m 34 years of age. But I can’t just drop everything and commit myself to a night course two nights a week for the next 24 months. I have a family and I am abroad a lot. But the principal of Ballyhaise told me that if I cannot join this night course I won’t qualify for the schemes. It’s a nightmare. How can the European Commission change this deadline at such short notice?”

Peter Cullivan (34) from Co Cavan is in a similar position, except he was never even given a start date for his Green Cert course.

“I applied for a part-time course in Ballyhaise back in January and was never given a start date from the college,” Cullivan explained. “I presumed I would be starting in September 2016 as I hadn’t heard back from them. When I heard the news that the deadline was pushed forward I tried ringing them but couldn’t get through. I’m going to have to go down to the college tomorrow [Wednesday] to see what is going on and what my options are.”

Cullivan recently inherited a beef farm from his uncle and was hoping the Young Farmer and National Reserve schemes could help him get it functioning properly again.

“These two schemes were going to help me kickstart the farm again. It was not possible for my uncle to farm it properly in the last few years so I was really relying on that bit of help. It’s like Europe doesn’t want to help young farmers.”

Over 1,200 hopeful entrants to the Young Farmer and National Reserve schemes have yet to enrol for the Green Cert. On top of these hopeful entrants Teagasc has already enrolled 2,400 learners this year, meaning 3,600 have now to be accommodated this year. This number is up from an average of 500 per year.

Cullivan said: “There’s no way all those students are going to be able to start training before the end of December.”

Reacting to the news, Macra na Feirme said this has caused “much confusion among young farmers”.

Its agricultural affairs officer Bryan Hynes said that it is “essential that all affected young farmers are clearly written to by the Department of Agriculture and advised of this change to the requirement for agricultural education as soon as possible”.

In a statement issued to the Irish Farmers Journal, the Department of Agriculture said: “Arrangements are being put in place with the agricultural colleges and each applicant concerned will be given an opportunity to initiate their training in 2015 in order to qualify for payment under the 2015 National Reserve and Young farmer schemes. These farmers will be notified this week.”

There were 7,000 applicants to the National Reserve and 8,700 to the Young Farmer scheme. The schemes have a combined allocation of €49m.