In order to qualify for forestry premiums applicants must own, lease or be in joint management of the lands proposed for planting. Applicants must provide documentary evidence of ownership, leasing or joint management.

All Applicants must be over 18 years of age and Hold a Personal Public Service Number (PPS No.) 

An applicant for the farmer rate of premium must, within 12 months after the date of completion of the plantation supply evidence of farming activity in the one of the following forms:

1. A herd number or registration number under the disease eradication schemes or any other Departmental scheme, which has been active for a continuous period of 24 months prior to the date of completion of the plantation or an active REPS number.

OR

2. Documentary evidence that at least 25% of an applicant’s income was derived from farming in the State in the year of the forestry plantation’s completion or in one of the three preceding years. This evidence may be provided in one of the following forms:

Form TF 2 completed by a local agricultural consultant who must be a member of the Agricultural Consultants Association (these documents must be signed and stamped).

The Forest Service may require additional supporting evidence of farming activity and may carry out additional checks to verify farmer status in individual cases. 

 The following conditions attach to calculating income for qualification for the farmer rate of premium:

An applicant who already qualified for farmer rate of premium on the basis of an assessment of income, under a current forestry scheme need not have income re-assessed to qualify for famer rates of premium for new plantations under the Scheme.

An applicant who has participated in the Farm Retirement Scheme (ERS) cannot be classified as a farmer in respect of a plantation completed after the date of retirement (unless all payments received under that scheme have been repaid to the Department and the conditions outlined above are met).

 Applicants living abroad may claim at the non-farmer rates only.

Once the non-farmer rate has been claimed on an application the premium status cannot be upgraded to farmer rate for the lifetime of that contract even if the applicant subsequently qualifies as a farmer or has that status under other schemes operated by the Department.

1. A tax assessment issued by Revenue showing farming income and total income in the selected year.

OR

2. A certificate of farming income on Form TF1 completed by the local Teagasc Land Use Advisor, or 
   1. The income of the applicant only is to be used in the calculation.  A spouse’s income is not to be included in the calculation unless the application for premium is made in joint names.
   2. Agricultural aids, premiums and subsidies may be included as farming income..
   3. Forest premiums paid at farmer rate may be included as farming income provided the applicant has other farming income.  
   4. Land letting on the less-than-11-month basis (conacre) may be included as farming income provided the applicant has other farming income. 
   5. All Social Welfare payments (pensions/disability benefits etc) are excluded from gross income