Teagasc has been called on to show flexibility in the awarding of the Green Cert this year by the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA).
Highlighting that a large number of students are going to experience difficulty completing their course due to Covid-19 restrictions, IFA deputy president Brian Rushe called for some leeway to be shown on account of this.
“All colleges are closed at the moment,” he said.
While some modules can be done remotely, there are many parts of the course, such as practical and oral exams, where completion will be difficult.
Continuing, Rushe said that this flexibility is all the more important given the deadline date of Wednesday, May 15, for young farmers to qualify for the National Reserve, Young Farmer Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) top-up, additional Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) grants and vital tax reliefs.
The deputy president said the uncertainty for students must be removed and an early announcement must be forthcoming.
Agri mechanisation course changes application process
On a related note, the application process for the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Mechanisation course in IT Tralee has been changed to now go through the Central Admissions Office (CAO) – meaning prospective students should look into applying now, according to the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association (FTMTA).
“Admission to the Bachelor of Science [Agricultural Mechanisation] degree programme is now through the CAO process rather than via the direct entry system which was previously in place,” Ryan said.
This fact should be brought to the attention of any prospective student thinking of applying for a place on the course. The CAO code for the course is TL743.