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Section 3 Eligible persons

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

(1)

Subject to the provisions of this paragraph, the following classes of person shall be eligible for grant under this Scheme—

(a)

an individual carrying on an agricultural business if the appropriate Minister is satisfied that that individual or, as the case may be, the farm manager or other person through whom the business is carried on—

(i)

derives more than half of his annual income calculated in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) below from that business; and

(ii)

spends not less than 1,100 hours per year in agricultural activities relating to that business; and

(iii)

possesses sufficient agricultural skill and competence, in that he holds an appropriate certificate issued by a teaching establishment recognised for this purpose by that Minister or has been engaged in agricultural activities for not less than five years,

and if the individual carrying on that agricultural business submits a farm diversification plan in accordance with paragraph 4, and undertakes, if that plan is approved, to carry it out;

(b)

any person representing a body carrying on an agricultural business if—

(i)

the appropriate Minister is satisfied that the main purpose of that business is the pursuit of agriculture and that the farm manager or other person through whom the business is carried on satisfies the requirements as to income, hours spent in agricultural activities and as to agricultural skill and competence, as specified in sub-paragraph (1)(a) above, and

(ii)

the said person representing the said body submits on behalf of the said body a farm diversification plan in accordance with paragraph 4 and undertakes, if that plan is approved, to carry it out;

(c)

persons carrying on an agricultural business in partnership if—

(i)

the appropriate Minister is satisfied that the farm manager or other person through whom the business is carried on satisfies the requirements as to income, hours spent in agricultural activities and as to agricultural skill and competence as specified in sub-paragraph (1)(a) above, and

(ii)

a farm diversification plan is submitted in accordance with paragraph 4 and the undertaking required of an individual by sub-paragraph (1)(a) above is given on behalf of the partnership;

(d)

the owner of land occupied for the purposes of the pursuit of agriculture who submits a farm diversification plan relating to such land or to adjacent land jointly with one of the kinds of person eligible for grant under sub-paragraph (a), (b) or (c) above.

(2)

For the purposes of this paragraph, a person’s annual income shall be calculated in each case by reference to such year or years within the three years immediately preceding the day on which the farm diversification plan is submitted as the appropriate Minister shall determine, being a year or years which he is satisfied gives or give a fair indication of the normal amount of income of that person and the normal amount of income derived by that person from the agricultural business.

(3)

Where a person eligible for grant under sub-paragraph (1) above is a contractor, it shall be a further condition of eligibility that he has entered into a written agreement with the occupier of the land in connection with which the contractor supplies agricultural work or services which is expressed to continue in force for a period of not less than seven years from the day immediately preceding the day on which the farm diversification plan is submitted.