Buying off old young farmers by giving them priority access to a 40% grant under TAMS is not acceptable, according to the leader of the Forgotten Farmers group.

"There is no point if we don’t have the income to actually fund investment,” Kenneth O’Brien.

These farmers are under 40 but not eligible for the National Reserve.

Answering a parliamentary question submitted by Independent TD Denis Naughton, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney said he would prioritise TAMS applications from farmers under 40 who started farming before 2008.

He also confirmed that the cost of increasing the value of existing entitlements to the national average for the 3,900 farmers involved stands at €12.288m.

It is not envisaged that there will be available resources to cater for this large additional group of farmers who commenced farming activity prior to 2008, the Minister added. Instead they will benefit gradually over the five years of the scheme. By 2019, all entitlements for all farmers in Ireland will be at least 60% of the national average value.

Denis Naughten said that is was surprising that up to one in five farmers under the age of 40 are falling into the category of a ‘forgotten farmer’, with low or no single farm payment entitlements.

Naughten said there is no point encouraging new young farmers if the future of those already committed to farming is not secured. He called the Minister to immediately establish a working group of all the stakeholders in order to develop a strategy, not only to look at the entitlements issue but also other on farm supports for such a large number of young farmers.