The National Reserveopened to applications on 29 March after much pressure from Macra na Feirme and other lobbying groups.
A total of €5.2m has been allocated for the new National Reserve.
It will provide entitlements for two categories of farmers by priority:
Young farmers: BPS applicants under 40 years old in 2017 who started farming in the last five years.New entrants to farming: BPS applicants who started farming since 1 January 2015 and did not farm in their own name previously.The Department of Agriculture has provided a range of frequently asked questions which will be of use to any farmer thinking of applying for funding:
Q. I was allocated entitlements and/or a top-up to the value of existing entitlements under a previous National Reserve; does this disqualify me from the 2017 National Reserve?
A. A successful application to the Single Payments Scheme National Reserve (2005 to 2014) does not make an applicant ineligible for consideration under the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) National Reserve.
However, if you had a successful 2015 Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve application you are ineligible for consideration for the 2017 National Reserve Scheme.
Q. The land that I intend to declare in 2017 is not owned by me. Do I have to show I have a minimum term lease agreement for the land and will I have to provide a copy of the lease?
A. Successful applicants may receive entitlements on owned, leased or rented land. It is not necessary for applicants to demonstrate a minimum term lease, but documentary evidence relating to land farmed may be requested at a later date.
Q. I am not registered on agfood.ie, is it possible to submit a paper version of the application form?
A. There is no facility to submit hardcopy National Reserve or Young Farmers Scheme applications. All applications must be submitted online via agfood.ie. For those not currently registered, instructions can be found on www.agfood.ie or you can contact agfood online services helpdesk in the Department’s Portlaoise Office, Lo call 0761064424 or email agfood@agriculture.gov.ie.
Q. Do I need to be the holder of a herd number or be registered on a joint herd number in order to apply for the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme?
A. Applicants are required to be a holder of a registered herd number in order to qualify for the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme. Applications for a herd number, or to be included on an existing herd number, must have been received by the local DVO by 15 May 2017.
Applicants should note the addition or removal of a name to/from an existing herd number, a change of legal entity, formation/dissolution of a registered farm partnership or any other amendment to the registration details of a herd number under which entitlements were held in 2016 requires a parallel change to the registration details of the entitlements.
In such cases, a transfer of entitlements application must be submitted by 15 May 2017 or the entitlements will not be available to the transferee for use in 2017 and the 2017 Basic Payment shall issue to the transferor.
Q. I have applied for my herd number/to transfer an existing herd number, but my application has not yet been approved. As such, I am unable to register on agfood.ie. What options are available to me?
A. In the event that a herd number has not been assigned at the date of application under the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme, a facility is available via iNet for submission of such applications by registered Agricultural Agents.
Q. How do I know if my educational qualifications meet the required standard?
A. A list of acceptable educational qualifications can be found at appendix A of the terms and conditions of the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme.
Where an applicant holds or has completed a qualification that is not included at appendix A, a letter of equivalence from Teagasc confirming the educational qualification held by the applicant fulfils the requirements of the scheme must be submitted by the applicant.
Q. What will entitlements allocated from the National Reserve be valued at?
A. The value of entitlements allocated from the National Reserve, and the value to which existing entitlements are increased, shall be fixed at the national average value of payment entitlements in the year of allocation.
In 2015, the national average value was approximately €185.
Q. I will not have completed an agricultural education course leading to a recognised/accepted agricultural qualification by 15 May 2017. Am I eligible?
A. Applicants must have successfully completed an agricultural education course at FETAC Level 6 or equivalent by 15 May 2017 and must submit a copy of this qualification (or Teagasc letter of equivalence) in support of their application.
If an applicant has fully completed the education course but has not yet been verified as successful or received final certification, they must complete and submit the confirmation of education form which is available for downloading on the online application facility.
Q. I completed the application online. How do I know it has been submitted?
A. Once you have submitted your application via iNet, a record of the application will show under ‘correspondence’ and applicants/agents are advised to access same to confirm that the application has been successfully submitted. This record is the only accepted proof of submission of an application via iNet under the 2017 National Reserve and/or Young Farmers Scheme. Only fully completed and submitted applications will be considered.
Q. Can I submit hard copies of the supporting documentation?
A. There is no facility for submitting hard copies of supporting documentation. All such supporting documentation should be uploaded on agfood.ie under the relevant sections.
Q. What documents do I need to submit in support of off-farm income?
AA. The documents required include, but may not be limited to, documentation as provided by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in respect of the tax year 2015 or 2016 such as P60, P21 or Self-Assessment Form accompanied by Form 11.
Applicants are required to submit documents to cover the full tax year chosen – ie either 2015 or 2016.
Certain Department of Social Protection payments including Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, Pre-Retirement Allowance, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Maternity Benefit, Jobseekers Benefit and Short Term Enterprise Allowance are reckonable as off-farm income.
Applicants must provide a statement from the Department of Social Protection setting out details of such payments or confirming that no such payments have been received. In this regard, applicants can generate such statements from the Department of Social Protection facility mywelfare.ie when registered for a Public Services Card.
Details of the process of application for a public services card are available on www.mywelfare.ie.
Q. I was not resident in Ireland for either of the reference years regarding the off–farm income. Do I still have to provide evidence of my off-farm income?
A. Yes – applicants are required to provide evidence of their off-farm income regardless of the jurisdiction they were residing in at the time. They will need to provide that jurisdiction’s equivalent of the off-farm income documents required for a full year.
Q. Will I need to submit a copy of my farm accounts?
A. No. You will need to submit details of off-farm income only.
Q. Is a statement from my accountant or a payslip accepted as proof of off-farm income?
No. A statement from an accountant is not accepted as proof of off-farm income. A payslip is also not accepted as proof of off-farm income.
Q. If I receive an allocation from the National Reserve in 2017 and acquire additional land in 2018, can I apply for another allocation of entitlements on this additional land?
A. No, an applicant may only receive an allocation from the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve once. A successful application in 2017 excludes the applicant from consideration in any subsequent year.
Q. I farmed in my own right from 2002 to 2008 and then left farming altogether. I recommenced in 2012, I am under 40 and have a FETAC Level 6 Agricultural Qualification.
As I set up my holding less than five years ago, do I qualify as a Young Farmer?
A. No, the definition of a young farmer under the Young Farmers Scheme definition refers to farmers who are setting up for the first time. Having set up your holding and farming from 2002 to 2008, you do not meet this condition.
However, you may qualify as a new entrant if you did not have any agricultural activity in your own name and at your own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity.
Q. I am an eligible new entrant farming in a group (partnership/joint herd number/company) with farmers who do not qualify as new entrants.
Is the group eligible under the National Reserve?
A. No. In accordance with EU regulation only groups made up entirely of new entrants to farming will be eligible under the new entrant category of the National Reserve.
Q. Does the closing date set out in the terms and conditions refer to the application only?
A. With the exception of the 2016 Notice of Assessment (for those self-employed in 2016), all other supporting documentation must be submitted before the stated closing date.
Where an application is submitted prior to the closing date but supporting documents are submitted after the closing date has passed, the application will be deemed to be late.
Q. I do not currently hold a herd number. How do I apply for one?
A. In order to apply for a herd number, you must complete an ER1 form. Completed forms should be submitted to your Regional Veterinary Office along with any necessary supporting documentation.
These forms can be accessed on the Department’s website.
It will also be necessary to record details of a bank account to which payments will be made with the Department. This form must be completed and returned to direct credit section, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham St, Cavan. Any queries in relation to the registration of bank details should be directed to the direct credit section at 049-436 8283.
Q. I want to amend my herd number to add an eligible Young Farmer. What do I need to do?
A. In order to amend the registration details of a herd number, you must complete an ER 1.1 form. Completed forms should be submitted to your Regional Veterinary Office along with any necessary supporting documentation. These forms can be accessed on the Department’s website, along with an information note on the completion of these forms. If there are entitlements associated with the herd number, it will be necessary to complete a 2017 transfer form transferring entitlements from the original herd number to the amended herd number that includes the young farmer.
It will also be necessary to amend the details of the bank account to which payments will be made with the Department, as the young farmer’s name must be included on the name of the bank account.
This form should be completed and returned to direct credit section, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham St, Cavan. Any queries in relation to the registration of bank details should be directed to the direct credit section at 049-436 8283.
Q. Does the young farmer have to be recorded as the herd keeper on a joint herd number/company/partnership?
A. No, the young farmer does not need to be recorded as the herd keeper, but must be a registered owner of the herd number.
Q. An eligible young farmer is registered as the herd keeper on my herd number, but he/she is not on the herd number. Will this meet the eligibility conditions of the Young Farmers Scheme?
A. No, the young farmer must be registered on the herd number.
Q. I qualified for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on 30 activated entitlements in 2016. I will be activating an additional (following a lease agreement) 20 entitlements in 2017. Will I qualify for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on only the 30 I held in 2016 or also on the additional entitlements for 2017, subject to the maximum of 50?
A. Successful applicants will qualify for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on all entitlements activated by them in the given scheme year, subject to a maximum of 50. So in this case the young farmer will qualify on the 50 activated entitlements.
Q. I was successful under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and have acquired additional naked land in 2017 for which I do not hold entitlements.
Will I get the Young Farmers Scheme payment in 2017 on this naked land in 2017?
A. The Young Farmers Scheme payment is not paid per eligible hectare declared. Instead, it is paid per activated entitlements held in the scheme year. Successful applicants will only be paid the Young Farmers Scheme payment on the activated entitlement they hold in the scheme year, subject to a maximum of 50, even where they hold more hectares than entitlements.
Q. My educational qualification is made up of more than one certificate. Do I need to submit all certificates or is the most recent one sufficient?
A. In some cases, meeting the educational qualifications require a combination of two or more certificates (for example, an non-agricultural ward and FETAC Level 5 specific purpose certificate in animal and crop production and FETAC Level 6 specific purpose certificate in farm business). In those cases, all three certificates are required in support of the application.
Failure to submit all of the certificates may result in the application being unsuccessful.
Q. I was successful for the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and I am eligible for the payment in 2017. Do I need to submit a 2017 application?
A. If no changes have been made to the herd number since 2016, you can apply for the Young Farmers Scheme by using the tick box on the Basic Payment Scheme application or through www.agfood.ie.
Q. I was successful under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and I am eligible to apply again in 2016, but I do not have the tick box option on the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme Application. How do I apply?
A. In such cases, eligible applications should use the online application facility on www.agfood.ie to submit a 2017 Young Farmers Scheme application.
Q. My educational qualification certificate is not from a college in the Republic of Ireland. Is this acceptable?
A. A letter of equivalence will be required and he/she should apply to the educational officer in Teagasc for same.
Q. I do not hold any entitlements. Am I eligible for the Young Farmer’s Scheme?
A. The Young Farmers Scheme is paid on activated entitlements. Therefore, if you do not hold entitlements, your application for the Young Farmer’s Scheme will be unsuccessful.
Q. Can entitlements be transferred out from land to create naked land for the purposes of applying to the National Reserve?
A. The removal of entitlements from land for the purpose of creating naked land upon which a National Reserve allocation can be made is not permitted. This action is regarded a circumventing the EU regulations governing the operation of the scheme by artificially creating the conditions required for obtaining an allocation form the National Reserve.
The National Reserveopened to applications on 29 March after much pressure from Macra na Feirme and other lobbying groups.
A total of €5.2m has been allocated for the new National Reserve.
It will provide entitlements for two categories of farmers by priority:
Young farmers: BPS applicants under 40 years old in 2017 who started farming in the last five years.New entrants to farming: BPS applicants who started farming since 1 January 2015 and did not farm in their own name previously.The Department of Agriculture has provided a range of frequently asked questions which will be of use to any farmer thinking of applying for funding:
Q. I was allocated entitlements and/or a top-up to the value of existing entitlements under a previous National Reserve; does this disqualify me from the 2017 National Reserve?
A. A successful application to the Single Payments Scheme National Reserve (2005 to 2014) does not make an applicant ineligible for consideration under the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) National Reserve.
However, if you had a successful 2015 Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve application you are ineligible for consideration for the 2017 National Reserve Scheme.
Q. The land that I intend to declare in 2017 is not owned by me. Do I have to show I have a minimum term lease agreement for the land and will I have to provide a copy of the lease?
A. Successful applicants may receive entitlements on owned, leased or rented land. It is not necessary for applicants to demonstrate a minimum term lease, but documentary evidence relating to land farmed may be requested at a later date.
Q. I am not registered on agfood.ie, is it possible to submit a paper version of the application form?
A. There is no facility to submit hardcopy National Reserve or Young Farmers Scheme applications. All applications must be submitted online via agfood.ie. For those not currently registered, instructions can be found on www.agfood.ie or you can contact agfood online services helpdesk in the Department’s Portlaoise Office, Lo call 0761064424 or email agfood@agriculture.gov.ie.
Q. Do I need to be the holder of a herd number or be registered on a joint herd number in order to apply for the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme?
A. Applicants are required to be a holder of a registered herd number in order to qualify for the National Reserve and Young Farmers Scheme. Applications for a herd number, or to be included on an existing herd number, must have been received by the local DVO by 15 May 2017.
Applicants should note the addition or removal of a name to/from an existing herd number, a change of legal entity, formation/dissolution of a registered farm partnership or any other amendment to the registration details of a herd number under which entitlements were held in 2016 requires a parallel change to the registration details of the entitlements.
In such cases, a transfer of entitlements application must be submitted by 15 May 2017 or the entitlements will not be available to the transferee for use in 2017 and the 2017 Basic Payment shall issue to the transferor.
Q. I have applied for my herd number/to transfer an existing herd number, but my application has not yet been approved. As such, I am unable to register on agfood.ie. What options are available to me?
A. In the event that a herd number has not been assigned at the date of application under the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme, a facility is available via iNet for submission of such applications by registered Agricultural Agents.
Q. How do I know if my educational qualifications meet the required standard?
A. A list of acceptable educational qualifications can be found at appendix A of the terms and conditions of the National Reserve/Young Farmers Scheme.
Where an applicant holds or has completed a qualification that is not included at appendix A, a letter of equivalence from Teagasc confirming the educational qualification held by the applicant fulfils the requirements of the scheme must be submitted by the applicant.
Q. What will entitlements allocated from the National Reserve be valued at?
A. The value of entitlements allocated from the National Reserve, and the value to which existing entitlements are increased, shall be fixed at the national average value of payment entitlements in the year of allocation.
In 2015, the national average value was approximately €185.
Q. I will not have completed an agricultural education course leading to a recognised/accepted agricultural qualification by 15 May 2017. Am I eligible?
A. Applicants must have successfully completed an agricultural education course at FETAC Level 6 or equivalent by 15 May 2017 and must submit a copy of this qualification (or Teagasc letter of equivalence) in support of their application.
If an applicant has fully completed the education course but has not yet been verified as successful or received final certification, they must complete and submit the confirmation of education form which is available for downloading on the online application facility.
Q. I completed the application online. How do I know it has been submitted?
A. Once you have submitted your application via iNet, a record of the application will show under ‘correspondence’ and applicants/agents are advised to access same to confirm that the application has been successfully submitted. This record is the only accepted proof of submission of an application via iNet under the 2017 National Reserve and/or Young Farmers Scheme. Only fully completed and submitted applications will be considered.
Q. Can I submit hard copies of the supporting documentation?
A. There is no facility for submitting hard copies of supporting documentation. All such supporting documentation should be uploaded on agfood.ie under the relevant sections.
Q. What documents do I need to submit in support of off-farm income?
AA. The documents required include, but may not be limited to, documentation as provided by the Office of the Revenue Commissioners in respect of the tax year 2015 or 2016 such as P60, P21 or Self-Assessment Form accompanied by Form 11.
Applicants are required to submit documents to cover the full tax year chosen – ie either 2015 or 2016.
Certain Department of Social Protection payments including Jobseekers Allowance, Jobseekers Benefit, Pre-Retirement Allowance, Supplementary Welfare Allowance, Maternity Benefit, Jobseekers Benefit and Short Term Enterprise Allowance are reckonable as off-farm income.
Applicants must provide a statement from the Department of Social Protection setting out details of such payments or confirming that no such payments have been received. In this regard, applicants can generate such statements from the Department of Social Protection facility mywelfare.ie when registered for a Public Services Card.
Details of the process of application for a public services card are available on www.mywelfare.ie.
Q. I was not resident in Ireland for either of the reference years regarding the off–farm income. Do I still have to provide evidence of my off-farm income?
A. Yes – applicants are required to provide evidence of their off-farm income regardless of the jurisdiction they were residing in at the time. They will need to provide that jurisdiction’s equivalent of the off-farm income documents required for a full year.
Q. Will I need to submit a copy of my farm accounts?
A. No. You will need to submit details of off-farm income only.
Q. Is a statement from my accountant or a payslip accepted as proof of off-farm income?
No. A statement from an accountant is not accepted as proof of off-farm income. A payslip is also not accepted as proof of off-farm income.
Q. If I receive an allocation from the National Reserve in 2017 and acquire additional land in 2018, can I apply for another allocation of entitlements on this additional land?
A. No, an applicant may only receive an allocation from the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve once. A successful application in 2017 excludes the applicant from consideration in any subsequent year.
Q. I farmed in my own right from 2002 to 2008 and then left farming altogether. I recommenced in 2012, I am under 40 and have a FETAC Level 6 Agricultural Qualification.
As I set up my holding less than five years ago, do I qualify as a Young Farmer?
A. No, the definition of a young farmer under the Young Farmers Scheme definition refers to farmers who are setting up for the first time. Having set up your holding and farming from 2002 to 2008, you do not meet this condition.
However, you may qualify as a new entrant if you did not have any agricultural activity in your own name and at your own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity.
Q. I am an eligible new entrant farming in a group (partnership/joint herd number/company) with farmers who do not qualify as new entrants.
Is the group eligible under the National Reserve?
A. No. In accordance with EU regulation only groups made up entirely of new entrants to farming will be eligible under the new entrant category of the National Reserve.
Q. Does the closing date set out in the terms and conditions refer to the application only?
A. With the exception of the 2016 Notice of Assessment (for those self-employed in 2016), all other supporting documentation must be submitted before the stated closing date.
Where an application is submitted prior to the closing date but supporting documents are submitted after the closing date has passed, the application will be deemed to be late.
Q. I do not currently hold a herd number. How do I apply for one?
A. In order to apply for a herd number, you must complete an ER1 form. Completed forms should be submitted to your Regional Veterinary Office along with any necessary supporting documentation.
These forms can be accessed on the Department’s website.
It will also be necessary to record details of a bank account to which payments will be made with the Department. This form must be completed and returned to direct credit section, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham St, Cavan. Any queries in relation to the registration of bank details should be directed to the direct credit section at 049-436 8283.
Q. I want to amend my herd number to add an eligible Young Farmer. What do I need to do?
A. In order to amend the registration details of a herd number, you must complete an ER 1.1 form. Completed forms should be submitted to your Regional Veterinary Office along with any necessary supporting documentation. These forms can be accessed on the Department’s website, along with an information note on the completion of these forms. If there are entitlements associated with the herd number, it will be necessary to complete a 2017 transfer form transferring entitlements from the original herd number to the amended herd number that includes the young farmer.
It will also be necessary to amend the details of the bank account to which payments will be made with the Department, as the young farmer’s name must be included on the name of the bank account.
This form should be completed and returned to direct credit section, Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Farnham St, Cavan. Any queries in relation to the registration of bank details should be directed to the direct credit section at 049-436 8283.
Q. Does the young farmer have to be recorded as the herd keeper on a joint herd number/company/partnership?
A. No, the young farmer does not need to be recorded as the herd keeper, but must be a registered owner of the herd number.
Q. An eligible young farmer is registered as the herd keeper on my herd number, but he/she is not on the herd number. Will this meet the eligibility conditions of the Young Farmers Scheme?
A. No, the young farmer must be registered on the herd number.
Q. I qualified for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on 30 activated entitlements in 2016. I will be activating an additional (following a lease agreement) 20 entitlements in 2017. Will I qualify for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on only the 30 I held in 2016 or also on the additional entitlements for 2017, subject to the maximum of 50?
A. Successful applicants will qualify for the Young Farmers Scheme payment on all entitlements activated by them in the given scheme year, subject to a maximum of 50. So in this case the young farmer will qualify on the 50 activated entitlements.
Q. I was successful under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and have acquired additional naked land in 2017 for which I do not hold entitlements.
Will I get the Young Farmers Scheme payment in 2017 on this naked land in 2017?
A. The Young Farmers Scheme payment is not paid per eligible hectare declared. Instead, it is paid per activated entitlements held in the scheme year. Successful applicants will only be paid the Young Farmers Scheme payment on the activated entitlement they hold in the scheme year, subject to a maximum of 50, even where they hold more hectares than entitlements.
Q. My educational qualification is made up of more than one certificate. Do I need to submit all certificates or is the most recent one sufficient?
A. In some cases, meeting the educational qualifications require a combination of two or more certificates (for example, an non-agricultural ward and FETAC Level 5 specific purpose certificate in animal and crop production and FETAC Level 6 specific purpose certificate in farm business). In those cases, all three certificates are required in support of the application.
Failure to submit all of the certificates may result in the application being unsuccessful.
Q. I was successful for the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and I am eligible for the payment in 2017. Do I need to submit a 2017 application?
A. If no changes have been made to the herd number since 2016, you can apply for the Young Farmers Scheme by using the tick box on the Basic Payment Scheme application or through www.agfood.ie.
Q. I was successful under the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 and I am eligible to apply again in 2016, but I do not have the tick box option on the 2017 Basic Payment Scheme Application. How do I apply?
A. In such cases, eligible applications should use the online application facility on www.agfood.ie to submit a 2017 Young Farmers Scheme application.
Q. My educational qualification certificate is not from a college in the Republic of Ireland. Is this acceptable?
A. A letter of equivalence will be required and he/she should apply to the educational officer in Teagasc for same.
Q. I do not hold any entitlements. Am I eligible for the Young Farmer’s Scheme?
A. The Young Farmers Scheme is paid on activated entitlements. Therefore, if you do not hold entitlements, your application for the Young Farmer’s Scheme will be unsuccessful.
Q. Can entitlements be transferred out from land to create naked land for the purposes of applying to the National Reserve?
A. The removal of entitlements from land for the purpose of creating naked land upon which a National Reserve allocation can be made is not permitted. This action is regarded a circumventing the EU regulations governing the operation of the scheme by artificially creating the conditions required for obtaining an allocation form the National Reserve.
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