Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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239. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total budget allocation for each year under CAP pillar 1 2014 to 2020 for young farmers under the national reserve scheme in tabular form; the total amount drawn down in each year and to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35695/16]

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 €24.7 million in funding which was the maximum financing rate available under the relevant EU Regulations. The EU regulations governing the National Reserve provides that priority under the National Reserve must be given to ‘young farmers’ and to ‘new entrants to farming’. There was no National Reserve in 2016 as all available funding has been utilised under the 2015 scheme.  There were 6,260 beneficiaries under the 2015 National Reserve of which 5,567 were successful applicants under the ‘young farmer’ priority category. Details are set out in the following table.

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 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.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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240. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total number of participants under the young farmers scheme in each of the years 2014 to date in 2016, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35696/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Young Farmers Scheme was introduced in 2015 as a measure to support young farmers under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. In 2015 there were 8,170 successful applicants under the Young Farmers Scheme.  For 2016 my Department has received some 8,600 applications for funding under the scheme and processing of these applications is currently being finalised in advance of payments issuing under the Scheme in early December.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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241. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the total budget allocation for each year under CAP pillar 1 2014 to 2020 for participants under the young farmers scheme in tabular form; the total amount drawn down in each year and to date in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35697/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Young Farmers Scheme was introduced in 2015 as a measure to support young farmers under the reformed Common Agricultural Policy. Ireland has allocated 2% of the national ceiling to the Scheme each year from 2015 to 2019. Payments under the 2016 Young Farmers Scheme are due to issue after payment of the Basic Payment Scheme balancing payment on 1 December 2016.

The following table sets out the total budget allocation for each year 2015-2019 for the Young Farmers Scheme and details of the amount paid under the Scheme for 2015.