There is ‘no flexibility’ around new EU regulations which requiring applicants to key young farmer schemes to have commenced their education prior to submitting an application.
That’s according to the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed who was responding to questioning on the issue from Eamon O Cuiv this week.
Ó Cuív asked the Minister why under the young farmers scheme 2016 it is a requirement that applicants must have started their agricultural education by May 16 2016.
He asked if the will change this condition, given the long waiting lists to get on qualifying agricultural educational courses.
In September 2015, the EU Commission notified Ireland that the proposal to allow applicants to commence their agricultural education on a date after the date of submitting an application for the National Reserve and/or Young Farmers schemes is contrary to the EU Regulations governing the schemes.
According to Minister Creed, following this clarification the Department immediately took action and made arrangements to have FETAC Level 6 beginners courses made available to all applicants to the 2015 National Reserve and Young Farmers Schemes at the earliest possible date to comply with the notification received from the EU Commission.
However, he said that in light of this notification from the EU Commission, and in order to comply with EU Regulations pertaining to the implementation of the scheme, all applicants to the 2016 Young Farmers Scheme are required to have commenced their FETAC Level 6 course prior to submitting their application for the scheme in 2016.
“There is no flexibility within the notification from the EU Commission to allow applicants to commence their FETAC Level 6 course on a date after the submission of the application under the Young Farmers Scheme,” he said.