Wallace - Plans to Revisit Young Farmer Installation Aid and Early Retirement Schemes
Minister of State and Meath East TD Mary Wallace has made representations to the Minister of Agriculture Brendan Smith to re-open the Young Farmer Installation Aid and early retirement schemes.
Both these schemes promote farm restructuring, the establishment of young farmers, facilitate the availability of land and encourage the transfer of land to young farmers.
Minister Smith has advised Mary Wallace that he is anxious to revisit the decision to suspend entry to these schemes as soon as circumstances permit.
He also advised Minister Wallace that he was aware that many potential applicants were at an advanced stage in the preparation of their applications when entry to the scheme was suspended on 14th October.
Mary Wallace TD stated “Minister Smith has assured me that people whose applications were significantly progressed at the time entry to the scheme was suspended are a priority and he would like to see those applications that were nearing completion advanced as soon as possible”.
“Further more I have been advised that the Department of Agriculture is prepared to address those applications that are currently in the pipeline and he has confirmed to me that eligible farmers who have continued their training will not be excluded from the benefits of the scheme when it re-opens” She concluded.