Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will provide details of the persons that sit on the independent panel which has been established for the purpose of assessing applications under the scheme for the allocation of milk quota to new entrants as announced in early 2011; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8076/11]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Scheme for the Allocation of Milk Quota to New Entrants was first introduced in 2009, repeated in 2010, and applications for the 2011 scheme closed last Friday, 8 April.

Applications that satisfy the eligibility criteria as set out in the detailed rules of the scheme are presented for assessment of the extent to which each applicant can demonstrate a real and long-term commitment to dairying.

As in previous years, a panel has been established for this purpose in the context of the 2011 scheme. The panel is required to recommend for approval those applications considered to provide the best evidence of a viable and sustainable enterprise, given the limited amount of quota available. The panel will be chaired by a former Director General of ICOS and will consist of three further members drawn from Teagasc and from my Department.