Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 953: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will clarify the situation regarding young farmers' eligibility to apply for entitlements on an annual basis from the national reserve when the young farmers' off-farm income exceeds €30,000; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1166/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Regulations governing the National Reserve provide that, for non-mandatory categories (such as new entrants to farming) the Member State must apply objective criteria and ensure that an allocation of entitlements from the Reserve is not greater than the regional average value of entitlements which in Ireland's case is the District Electoral Division (DED) average associated with the applicants herd number.

The Single Payment Advisory Committee, comprising representatives of the farming organisations, Teagasc and officials from my Department recommended, and I accepted, objective criteria for the 2009 National Reserve including educational qualifications and an off-farm income limit of €30,000.

The National Reserve is a scarce resource initially created by reducing the value of the entitlements established for existing farmers and can only be replenished by the relinquishing of any entitlements that remain unused. My Department must therefore be prudent is determining how the funds in the reserve are administered.