Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 502: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the precise level of milk quota in the ownership of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; if same can be increased; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11605/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with EU and national milk quota regulations, milk quota is allocated at Milk Purchaser, or Co-operative, level. The records of individual producers' quotas are thus held by Milk Purchasers. My Department does not maintain such records.

Producers wishing to increase their quotas can do so primarily by applying to the new Milk Quota Trading Scheme, which was run for the first time at the end of January. The scheme provides a more open market system of quota transfer than heretofore, with buyers and sellers having the freedom to decide the volume of quota they wish to trade and the price at which they wish to trade. The deadline for the second scheme has now passed and there will be further opportunities for producers to trade quota under the next scheme, which is due to commence in the autumn of this year and will facilitate quota transfer for the 2008/2009 milk quota year.

Ned O'Keeffe (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 503: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding an application for an additional milk quota by a person (detail supplied) in County Cork. [11625/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The first Milk Quota Trading Scheme was run at the end of January. My Department supplied Milk Purchasers with the results for their areas shortly thereafter, and Milk Purchasers have in turn informed their suppliers as to whether they were successful or unsuccessful. The person referred to should therefore contact their Milk Purchaser if their query relates to the first scheme.

Applications for the second Milk Quota Trading Scheme are currently being processed by my Department, and the second exchange is expected to take place in mid-April. Volumes traded, and the prices at which those volumes are traded, will not be known until that time.