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The European Commission guidelines on defining young farmers in the next Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are likely to exclude people who missed out on the last round of young farmer payments.
Speaking on the subject to the Oireachtas on Tuesday, the assistant secretary general at the Department of Agriculture, Brendan Gleeson said: “They have to be under 40 and newly set up for the first time.”
“Whenever you define a rule there are going to be people who are included and people who are excluded.”
I don’t see much potential here based on the definition.
In response to a question from Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson for agriculture Charlie McConalogue on whether the definition would allow “hard done-by”, forgotten farmers the opportunity to receive payments Gleeson said: “I don’t see much potential here based on the definition.”
Flexibility for change
The response is a direct contradiction to what Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, told the Irish Farmers Journal in Brussels.
“That is a matter for the Member State, they now have the flexibility to do so if they wish,” Hogan stated, which would indicate that Ireland now has the power to redress payment stipulations that previously excluded forgotten farmers.
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The Department has estimated that up to 4,400 young farmers who started farming between 2010 and 2013 have been excluded from receiving additional young farmer payments.
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