Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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238. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of participants under the national reserve scheme in each year to date in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35694/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Basic Payment Scheme National Reserve was introduced in 2015.  In 2015 the National Reserve fund was based on a 3% cut to the Basic Payment Scheme financial ceiling and provided some €24.7 million in funding. This was the maximum financing rate available under the relevant EU Regulations.  The total number of beneficiaries under the National Reserve in 2015 is detailed in the following table.

There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding has 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 claw-back 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 EU Regulations also provide for the option for Member States to apply a linear cut to all farmers’ entitlements in order 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