Written answers

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

Agriculture Scheme Eligibility

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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339. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the terms and conditions for new entrants into the national reserve will remain the same for 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34023/15]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The EU Regulations governing the operation of the National Reserve set down that the priority for the allocation of entitlements from the National Reserve is given to the two categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’. For 2016 there is no designated funding from the Basic Payment Scheme to fund a National Reserve. The only source of funding available to the 2016 National Reserve will be from any unused funds from the 2015 National Reserve and from clawback arising from the sale of entitlements without land in 2016. Therefore the available resource will be limited. It is however expected that the level of demand in 2016 and subsequent years will be significantly less than in 2015 which was the first year of operation of the National Reserve under the Basic Payment Scheme.

If there is sufficient funding available to provide a National Reserve in 2016, application forms and terms and conditions governing the scheme will be available in early 2016 with a closing date of 15 th May 2016.

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