Denis Naughten
Question:131 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will approve additional cow quota for a person (details supplied) in County Roscommon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20654/02]
Written Answers. - Suckler Cow Quota.
The position with regard to the 2003 national reserve was that there were only 1,500 suckler cow premium rights available for distribution. Since demand for reserve quota exceeded that figure, there were not enough rights available to satisfy all applicants. Consequently, quota had to be distributed in accordance with the priorities laid down by the quota review group and EU regulations as follows: (i) 5% of the reserve had to be reserved for category B applicants – farmers with holdings on offshore islands; (ii) 10% of the reserve had to be reserved for category C applicants – organic farmers and (iii) the remaining quota was distributed to qualifying applicants under category A – first time applicants under 35 years of age who, under EU rules, had to be given priority. As a result there was no quota left to allocate to any applicant under category D, that is, farmers who required additional quota to ensure viability of their holding. Since the person named applied for an allocation of quota under category D, it was therefore not possible to allocate quota to him from the 2003 national reserve.
The person named established a quota in 1995 by purchasing 16 premium rights. He retained those rights in 1996 and furthermore he was provisionally allocated ten premium rights from the national reserve at that time, bringing his quota to 26 for the 1996 scheme year. The allocation was made on the basis that he would use his entire quota in 1996 by applying for and qualifying for 1996 suckler cow premium in respect of 26 suckler cows. Since he applied for premium in respect of only 22 suckler cows, that provisional allocation of ten quota rights was reduced to six giving him a quota of 22 rights for 1996. While the person named had his herd restricted under the TB disease eradication scheme in 1996, under no circumstances can a farmer retain reserve suckler cow quota that he does not require to ensure payment of the suckler cow premium for the year in question.
In 1998, the person named purchased 4.7 premium rights which leaves his quota since then at 26.7 premium rights.