DAFM: 'Large number' of applicants did not meet criteria for Forgotten Farmers scheme
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has outlined why a "large number of applicants" to the 'Forgotten Farmers' scheme were unsuccessful.
The scheme to Support Long Established Young Farmers - commonly referred to as the Forgotten Farmers - launched on July 22 and closed to applications on August 13 this year.
An allocation of €5 million was set out in Budget 2025 to fund the scheme.
The Forgotten Farmers are a group who were under the age of 40 in 2015.
They had started a career in agriculture prior to 2008 but did not receive Young Farmer Installation Aid and were not eligible for young farmer supports under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) from 2015 due to the date they had first set up in agriculture.
However, a total of 809 applications out of 1,254 submitted to the "Forgotten Farmers" scheme were "deemed ineligible" according to DAFM.
Some of these farmers have been in touch with Agriland, expressing their surprise and disappointment.
"We need to know on what basis farmers are being excluded, we have been waiting for this scheme for years and when it is finally announced now I find out in the run up to Christmas that I am not eligible,” said one farmer.
DAFM
In a statement issued to Agriland DAFM said: “Since the time the department was first approached with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the group was defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had established their holdings prior to 2008 and held no or low value payment entitlements and were ineligible for young farmer supports under the CAP from 2015.
“This definition of forgotten farmer has remained consistent since 2015.
“The terms and conditions of the scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers were based on the long-standing definition of a forgotten farmer since 2015.”
DAFM also stated that applicants under the scheme were required to meet all the following conditions:
- Have submitted a valid BISS application under a herd number on which the applicant is included in 2025;
- Have submitted a valid application under the Basic Payment Scheme in 2015 under the herd number on which the applicant is included;
- Be aged no more than 40 in 2015 (born on or after 1 January 1975);
- Have set up as the head of an agricultural holding for the first time on or before 31 December 2007;
- Have successfully completed a recognised agricultural education course at FETAC Level 6 or equivalent by 29 May 2015;
- Did not previously benefit under the Young Farmer Installation Aid Scheme (Installation Aid);
- Did not benefit under the Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve, including allocations under the Scottish Derogation.
It continued: “Applicants were also required to upload a copy of their birth certificate and their educational qualifications as part of their online application.
“Applicants were unsuccessful as they did not meet one or more of the required criteria.
"The most common reasons for unsuccessful applications was the applicant having set up as head of holding since 2008 or where the applicant did not meet the required educational qualification standard or did not provide the required evidence of having met the standard."
DAFM also said that a large number of applications were unsuccessful due to the applicant not meeting more than one of the requirements under the scheme.
‘No plans to extend’
Earlier this year, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said there are no plans to extend the eligibility criteria for the scheme.
"Since the time my department was first approached in 2015 with regard to the group commonly referred to as forgotten farmers, the group was defined as young farmers who were under the age of 40 in 2015, had established their holdings prior to 2008 and were not eligible for young farmer supports under the CAP from 2015," he said.
