Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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129. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in view of farmers who have about 90 acres and 34 cattle and who would be in receipt of single farm payments under €10,000, his plans to assist these persons; if a national reserve could be built up; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6454/15]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Single Payment Scheme introduced the principle of ‘decoupling’ whereby the direct payment received by a farmer was no longer linked to his agricultural production. This principle remains the foundation of the new Basic Payment Scheme that will be introduced in 2015. The number of animals held by a farmer, or any other aspects of their agricultural production, has no impact on the value of direct payment they will receive. The most significant feature of the Basic Payment Scheme is the process of ‘convergence’ whereby farmers with low value entitlements will see the value of their entitlements increase while those with high value entitlements will see their value decrease over the five years of the scheme. By 2019, all entitlements will have a minimum value of 60% of the national average entitlement value.

In accordance with the relevant EU Regulations, priority under the National Reserve will be given to farmers meeting the definition of Young Farmer and New Entrant in the first instance. The optional use of the National Reserve for non-priority categories will be dependent on the availability of funds within the National Reserve once the two priority categories have been allocated.