Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent)
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782. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of entitlements in the national reserve for young farmers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59106/22]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The National Reserve is a monetary fund from which successful applicants under the two mandatory categories of young farmer and new entrant to farming receive allocations. A successful applicant under the National Reserve is eligible to receive an allocation of payment entitlements at the national average payment entitlement value on eligible land for which the applicant holds no payment entitlements. Additionally, a successful applicant may also have existing payment entitlements s/he holds below the national average payment entitlement value topped-up to the national average entitlement value.

It should be noted that the National Reserve is not a repository of payment entitlements, but rather a fund from which allocations at the average payment entitlement value, or top-ups to the value of low value entitlements is made. Based on applications received in 2022, it is expected approximately 61,000 entitlements will be allocated or topped-up through the Reserve and that all demand will be fully serviced.

Payments under the 2022 National Reserve will commence in early December alongside balancing BPS payments. A new National Reserve will be established in the CAP programme from 2023.