ICSA president Sean McNamara has said that the opening of a long-awaited scheme to support Long Established Young Farmers - more commonly known as the Forgotten Farmers - is a very welcome development, albeit one that is long overdue. "We in ICSA have consistently campaigned for justice for this cohort of farmers who were unfairly excluded from young farmer supports under the last CAP due to a technical anomaly with dates. While this €5 million scheme is limited in scope and capped at €5,000 per applicant, it is a recognition - finally - of the injustice these farmers have faced for nearly a decade," he said.

Continuing Mr McNamara said, "It is important to stress that these farmers did everything right - they were under 40 in 2015, had the required education, and were actively farming before 2008. Yet, because they began farming 'too soon' to qualify under arbitrary CAP cut-off points, they were locked out of supports that their peers received. This anomaly created a totally unfair situation, and it's only right that we now see a measure to partially redress that. While this scheme won't fully undo the hardship caused by years of exclusion, it is a step in the right direction."

Mr McNamara said he would urge all eligible farmers to apply without delay, as the application window is relatively short. Online applications must be submitted through the AgFood portal by 5.30pm on 13 August 2025.