merrion street

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today announced details of the 2012 National Reserve which provides for an allocation of Single Payment entitlements to new entrants to farming.   Farmers who commenced farming after 17th May 2010 and who fulfil the required educational and income criteria may apply.

Conditions applicable to the 2012 National Reserve

Applicants who already own Single Payment entitlements with a total value of €10,000 or more (including entitlements acquired by purchase, inheritance or gift) will not be eligible for an allocation of entitlements from the 2012 National Reserve.

A cap of €5,000 will be applied to allocations to eligible applicants. 

Where the €5,000 cap is applied, the allocation will be divided by the DED average value of entitlements and allocated on an equivalent number of hectares.

Any off-farm income cannot exceed €30,000 and the total income (farm and off-farm) cannot exceed €40,000.

·       Educational qualification in farming

The applicant must have obtained the FETAC level 6 advanced certificate in farming or an equivalent qualification.

The Minister noted that resources in the National Reserve are limited and are only replenished each year by entitlements that are unused.  Therefore where the sum of allocations to eligible applicants exceeds the amount available in the 2012 National Reserve, an appropriate linear reduction will have to be applied to all allocations.

Applications forms are now available on the Department’s website

, from Department offices and from Teagasc offices.  The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 15th May 2012.