Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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450. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the national reserve and young farmers scheme will be open again for applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33735/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In 2015 the National Reserve fund was based on a 3% cut to the Basic Payment Scheme financial ceiling and provided some €24 million in funding which was the maximum financing rate available under the relevant EU Regulations. There were some 6,250 successful applicants under the 2015 National Reserve.

There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding of €24 million 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 for the replenishment of the National Reserve may be obtained by means of surrender of entitlements that remain unused by farmers for two consecutive years and by clawback derived following the sale of entitlements without land. It is envisaged that funding derived from these two sources in 2017 will be very limited. The Regulations also provide for the application of a linear cut to the value of all farmers’ entitlements to replenish the National Reserve. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve for 2017 will be considered once the position on potential funding has been established.

The Young Farmers Scheme is a separate annual scheme which provides an additional payment for ‘young farmers’ on activated entitlements. The closing date for the Young Farmers Scheme in 2016 was 16 May. Applications for the 2017 Young Farmers Scheme will be made available well in advance of the 2017 closing date.