The Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy says young farmers are facing unnecessary barriers when trying to access funds from the National Reserve Scheme.
The €5m (five million euro) scheme is supposed to encourage young people into farming by making funds available to them provided they fulfil certain criteria.
But Matt Carthy says the scheme’s requirement that the applicant meets certain agricultural educational conditions is too draconian.
He says the Agriculture Minister Michael Creed needs to change the rules.
