John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

498. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a person (details supplied) has been approved for the national reserve and the young farmers schemes; the other financial supports available for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28117/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

According to records held by my Department, no application for the 2015 National Reserve or Young Farmers Scheme was received from the person named. The person named submitted an application under the 2016 Young Farmers Scheme to my Department. 

The Young Farmers Scheme payment is calculated based on the number of entitlements activated by the successful applicant. While the person named meets the eligibility conditions for the Young Farmers Scheme in all other respects, he holds no active entitlements upon which payment can be made. On this basis the person named does not meet the eligibility criteria under the Young Farmers Scheme.

There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding had been utilised under the 2015 scheme. In order to provide for a National Reserve in 2017 funding is required to replenish the Reserve. EU Regulations governing the scheme provide that funding may be obtained from three sources. These sources are the surrender to the Reserve of entitlements that remain unused for two consecutive years, the clawback derived following the sale of entitlements without land, or the application of a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding has been established. Under the National Reserve priority access for an allocation of entitlements is given to the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’.