asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the size of the national milk reserve at the end of 1988; and whether he has any proposals to increase same.
106.
Written Answers. - National Milk Reserve.
35.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the amount of milk which is in the national reserve; and the criteria on which it is being distributed.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 35 and 106 together. I presume the Deputies are referring to the reserve set up by the clawback on quotas transferring where land is being sold or leased. On the basis of the information furnished to my Department by milk purchasers, the reserve at the end of 1988 amounted to about 200,000 gallons.
The Quota Review Group has recommended in its report some changes in the operation of the reserve which I have decided to implement. The reserve will be allocated on a 50:50 basis to new entrants and producers with quotas of less than 10,000 gallons. As demand will greatly exceed the quantities available in the reserve, a ballot procedure will be adopted to decide on the successful applicants. I have also accepted the review group's recommendation that any quota available in any co-op or dairy area, beyond the needs of the priority category producers, will be transferred to other areas through the national reserve.