Shane Fitzgerald farms in partnership with his father John on a dairy farm in Waterford where they milk 180 cows.

Having signed up to the Young Farmers Scheme (YFS) in 2015, he has reached the five-year payment limit and said its loss will be “a big hit”.

“There’s less money available and it stifles progression,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal. “I’m not even talking about expansion, but just for things like land improvement or in relation to the environment or planting hedgerows.”

Shane and his father have also reached the ceiling on the TAMS grant and he said he’d be hopeful some flexibility could be introduced in this area.

“I’ve only just turned 30 so I have a few years in the young farmer category. I’m involved in Macra na Feirme and I know a few other lads who have been impacted in other sectors too.”

He also pointed out that the number of new entrants was falling at such a rate that it did not make up for the number of young farmers being cut off from payments this year.