Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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276. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of money allocated to the National Reserve Programme; the number of persons expected to benefit; if it will apply to those persons who lost out in 2016 due to no scheme being in place; the value to young farmers who have completed the relevant agricultural courses; the way they can apply for this scheme and from when; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12192/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I recently announced that funding of just over €5 million will be made available to fund a National Reserve in 2017. As the National Reserve is a demand led scheme it is not possible to estimate the number of persons expected to benefit under the scheme in 2017.

EU Regulations governing the National Reserve provides that the two mandatory categories of ‘young farmer’ and ‘new entrant to farming’ must receive priority access to the Reserve. A young farmer is defined as a farmer aged no more than 40 years of age in the year when they first submit an application under the Basic Payment Scheme and who commenced their farming activity no more than five years prior to submitting that application. A new entrant to farming is defined as a farmer who commenced their agricultural activity during the previous two years and did not have any agricultural activity in their own name and at their own risk in the five years preceding the start of the present agricultural activity.

Successful applicants to the National Reserve receive an allocation of entitlements at National Average value or a top-up to the National Average value on entitlements that are below the national average. The National Average value is expected to be in the region of €185. Successful applicants will be required to comply with specific criteria in relation to off farm income and attainment of agricultural education.

Full terms and conditions pertaining to the 2017 National Reserve and details in relation to the online application process will be available in the coming weeks. Details will also be available on my Department's website. The closing date for applications under the Scheme will be 15 May 2017.