Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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178. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the national reserve will be opening in 2017 for new applications for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3584/17]

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. Some 6,300 farmers received an allocation of entitlements under the 2015 National Reserve. 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 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. 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’. Decisions in relation to the National Reserve in 2017 will be made once the position on potential funding has been established.

Consultation between Department officials and the Direct Payments Advisory Committee comprising members of the main farming organisations, agricultural education and farm advisory bodies takes place annually as part of the decision making process for the National Reserve. Consultation in relation to the 2017 Reserve is due to take place shortly.