European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has hinted that a young farmer loan scheme is currently being looked at, with more details expected at the end of the month.

The Commissioner dropped hints about the new scheme while speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal after at the launch of a new international agricultural engineering degree at the Institute of Technology Tralee.

Long-term loans

He said: "We're working with the help of the European Investment bank to develop a specific product for young farmers.

"What we have in mind is long-term loans over longer periods of time than are presently available in the market place."

He added that: "These would be available over longer periods of time and at lower interest rates.

"This is for essential capital investment where young farmers find it difficult at the moment to get competitive rates and get longer-term money to give themselves some certainty for the future."

Degree programme

Tralee's new degree programme will see collaboration between the Munster third-level institute and similar educational establishments in France and Italy.

The Commissioner also outlined how the EU had taken major steps over the last five years to strengthen agriculture research to the food and agriculture space.

He said this will lead to many new funding opportunities for agri-food and agri-engineering institutions and researchers in Ireland and across the EU.

Brexit

On Brexit, Hogan said while there was a lot of commentators looking at doomsday scenarios regarding Brexit and the Irish-UK border, he was of a more positive view.

"I'm thinking more positively altogether in relation to these matters because the Good Friday Agreement has to be protected and there will be no hard border on the island of Ireland."

In his speech, he referred to seeing how the internal Brexit debates or the "London-London" talks would pan out.

Commenting on the latest request from Westminster for an extension to the Brexit withdrawal date, the Kilkenny man said: "There's a long time between now and next Wednesday. We'd better wait and see what their negotiations will be like."

Welcoming the fact that all sides in the House of Commons were now working together to try to finalise withdrawal details, he said: " It's good to see the co-operation at last. That's something I suggested two years ago."

Future job

The Commissioner was very forthright when asked whether he would like to see the CAP reform through to its entirety.

When asked would he like another term in the agriculture role, Commissioner Hogan responded with a firm yes.