Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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479. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he intends to open the national reserve scheme for 2013; if so, the conditions that will apply; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20160/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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As part of the implementation of the Single Payment Scheme in 2005, a linear cut of 1.82% was applied to all entitlements to fund the National Reserve catering for a range of categories including new entrants to farming. This resulted in €22.6m being allocated in 2005. From 2006 onwards, the National Reserve was replenished only from unused expired entitlements which reverted to the fund. From 2008 onwards, the National Reserve catered only for land leased out to a 3rd party during the reference period and New Entrants to farming. In 2012, the National Reserve catered for New Entrants to farming only.

Over the period 2005 to 2012, Entitlements to the value of approximately €39.7 million have been allocated to 18,834 farmers from the National Reserve.

Since the Reserve is funded only from unused entitlements, and the value of unused funds has been decreasing over recent years, it is not possible to operate a 2013 or 2014 National Reserve.

Under the new CAP regime, there will be a new National Reserve in 2015 which can cater for farmers who commenced their agricultural activity within the previous 5 years. It is likely that farmers who commenced farming after May 2011 will be catered for in Ireland. The CAP reform proposals also include a Young Farmers Scheme which makes provision for a top-up to the value of entitlements held by qualifying young farmers. This top up is paid annually for a period of up to five years following commencement of their farming activity.