New Entrants to Dairying Scheme

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Questions (361)

Pearse Doherty

Question:

361. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a grant for the establishment of a new farmer (details supplied) in County Donegal can be processed in the absence of a quota of 50,000 litres where the person in question was denied a quota under the new entrant scheme and has applied through the trading scheme; if he is satisfied that the milk quota arrangements in place are advantageous to new farmers; if he intends to introduce new measures in this area in order to facilitate new entrants to farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51894/13]

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Written answers

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The TAMS Dairy Equipment Scheme, which closes for applications at the end of this year (2013), requires individual farmers to have between 50,000 litres and 1 million litres of milk quota at the time of application in order to be eligible for grant-aid.

The determination of the farm sectors in which investment aid will be made available in the next rural development programme, including the possibility of further grant-aid in relation to the purchase of dairy equipment, is currently being considered within my Department.