Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his plan to attract new entrants to dairying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26067/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I announced details of the Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants on 10 June 2009. Since then in excess of 80 application forms have been issued to individuals who have expressed an interest in the scheme though no completed applications have, as yet, been returned to the Department. As the closing date is 31 July 2009, I expect that the majority of applications will arrive nearer that date.

The eligibility criteria for the scheme require that each applicant must:

satisfy certain education and training qualifications;

have no milk quota, nor have been a producer previously;

have a holding comprised of lands owned and/or leased;

have a separate independent herd number in which the dairy animals will be registered; and

have separate milking and milk storage facilities;

The applicant must also submit a five year business plan.

The closing date for applications is 31 July 2009, and it is expected that the assessment group will meet to consider applications in the week beginning 31 August 2009. The assessment of applications will be carried out by a group chaired by John Tyrrell, ICOS. New Entrants who acquire quota under this scheme will be required to commence milk production by 1 April 2011.

In addition to this new scheme, the Milk Quota Trading Scheme offers new entrants preferential access to milk quota from the priority pool. While at the same time affording them the opportunity to purchase quota from the exchange at the market price. Details of the next Trading Scheme will be published in September.