Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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491. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17189/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under EU Regulations governing the Basic Payment Scheme, entitlements may be allocated to farmers from the National Reserve under certain circumstances as defined by the Regulations. Priority access must be given to applicants who meet the definition of ‘young farmer’ or ‘new entrant to farming’. A young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when s/he first submits an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. A new entrant is defined as a farmer who commenced their agricultural activity since 1 January 2013. The Regulations also set down that an eligible applicant must have submitted an application under the Basic Payment Scheme in the year of application to the National Reserve. Records held by my Department show the person named did not apply to the Basic Payment Scheme for 2015. On this basis the person named does not meet the eligibility criteria under the National Reserve. Records held by my Department also indicate that the person named did not submit an application to the National Reserve in 2015.

As all of the National Reserve Funding was utilised in 2015, there is no funding available to cover the operation of a 2016 National Reserve. From 2017 onwards the National Reserve will be replenished from unused entitlements, as EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that entitlements that are unused for 2 consecutive years are surrendered to the National Reserve. Decisions in relation to the Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding arising from unused entitlements and clawback from the sale of entitlements without land has been established.