Teagasc, the agricultural training and research body, has eased fears surrounding the availability of Green Cert courses in the northwest.

There was serious concern that Green Cert courses due to be run at Teagasc centres in Mohill and Manorhamilton in Co Leitrim and Ballymote in Co Sligo would not be going ahead as planned this year, allegedly down to a lack of staff.

The Green Cert is an essential requirement for young farmers and is needed to qualify for certain schemes and grants. It is also one of the conditions of stamp duty exemption on the transfer of a farm from a parent to a son or daughter.

Looking after young farmers was included in the programme for Government

The issue was raised after TD Eamon Scanlon said he was contacted by a “number of young farmers who were told the course is most likely not going ahead this year and most likely won’t go ahead in 2018 either”.

As it is essential for young farmers, Eamon Scanlon said it was very unfair that young farmers may not be able to access schemes as “many have taken out leases on expensive grassland, hoping to qualify for schemes”.

“It’s very disappointing and I raised it in the Dáil last week with the Tánaiste. Looking after young farmers was included in the programme for Government.”

Teagasc reaction

However, a spokesperson for Teagasc told the Irish Farmers Journal they were “not aware that any courses were formally cancelled as courses planned were always dependent on the necessary resources being available”.

“A number of the existing courses will be finishing up this spring having commenced over two years ago. This will create capacity to commence new courses, most likely in the autumn of 2017.”

The spokesperson also said that the Department of Agriculture has sanctioned an additional 15 temporary education posts and that a substantial proportion of these posts will be allocated to the Sligo, Leitrim, and Donegal advisory region to alleviate demand pressures there.

He added that a very high level of demand still exists for the Green Cert programme and Teagasc will be addressing the high demand on an ongoing basis over the next three years.

Read more

Green Cert under threat in northwest