Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 660: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will specify the additional quota the milk quota appeals tribunal allocated based on its most recent allocation; if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the most recent allocations for County Cork; the total amount of unsuccessful applications; the specific reasons for rejecting applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20487/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Allocations of milk quota from the National Reserve are granted on the basis of recommendations from an independent Milk Quota Appeals Tribunal. The Tribunal examines and makes recommendations on applications for additional quota from individual producers on the grounds of hardship and/or animal disease restrictions. The allocations aim to mitigate, rather than alleviate, difficulties caused by hardship or animal disease.

The most recent allocations recommended by the Tribunal were in respect of applications received under the animal disease category. To date, a total of 967 applications have been assessed by the Tribunal under this category. Some 26.4 million litres of milk quota has been allocated to 868 applicants, while the number of applicants who did not receive an allocation is 99.

The recommendations presented by the Tribunal were based on information supplied on the application form by both the applicant or his/her Co-operative. This information includes restriction dates, total available quota, milk deliveries made in the current year and in the previous two years, herd profile, and stock retained due to restriction. Among the cases where the Tribunal may recommend 'nil' allocations are those where production was significantly over quota in the previous years or the amount of quota requested is insignificant.

There are approximately 80 further applications to be assessed by the Tribunal. These applications are from dairy farmers whose herds were restricted after the closing date for above assessments but before the end of the milk quota year. It is expected that these applications will be examined by the Tribunal before the end of April.

There were 329 applications examined from dairy farmers in County Cork, 33 of which received Nil allocations.