No National Reserve retention
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has confirmed that the EU regulations governing the National Reserve do not provide for a retention period, but will be subject to rules pertaining to transfer of entitlements, which have yet to be drawn up.
Mr Coveney was responding in the Dail to a question from Fianna Fail agriculture spokesman Éamon Ó Cuív, who also asked if it is permissible to stack the entitlements from the National Reserve.
The Minister confirmed that EU regulations for the new Basic Payment Scheme do not provide for consolidation (stacking).
Mr Ó Cuív also asked the Minister if a farmer who gives a section of his farm to his child, as a new entrant to farming, can stack his own entitlements on his own land, and if the child would be entitled to the young farmers top up plus entitlements from the national reserve, as a new entrant young farmer.
Mr Coveney said entitlements form part of a holding and may be transferred by sale, gift or lease, using the Transfer of Entitlement or Private Contract Clause procedures provided by the Department.
“The consolidation/stacking of entitlements on owned land in order to create naked hectares for an allocation of entitlements from the National Reserve is not permitted under the Regulations.”
If entitlements, established in the normal way without stacking, below national average value, are transferred to an eligible young farmer, the entitlements will be topped up to the national average value via the national reserve on up to 90 hectares.
“The associated greening payment will be made where eligible. The qualifying Young Farmer will also be eligible for the Young Farmer Scheme payment up to a maximum of 50 eligible hectares.”
