Vol. 470 No. 4
293 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of ewe premium rights available from the national reserve; the number of applicants seeking additional ewe premium rights; and the criteria to be used in the distribution of this reserve quota. [19279/96]
The amount of quota available for distribution from the 1997 national reserve will depend on the number of premium rights that will be forfeited as a result of non-usage of quota in 1996 and the number of rights that accrue to the reserve following the permanent transfer of quotas. Appeals against forfeiture are proceeding and when these are completed it is expected that the national reserve will comprise approximately 75,000 premium rights. Some 2,595 farmers have applied for ewe quota allocations from the 1997 national reserve.
The criteria that will be used in the distribution of the reserve are: Category A: Farmers under 35 years of age on 1 January 1997 who will apply for the ewe premium scheme for the first time in 1997.
The following conditions must be satisfied: (i) the total income, including that of his/her spouse/partner, must not exceed £16,472. Any off-farm income included in the total income must not exceed £11,000; (ii) his/her total livestock units — LU's — must not exceed 35. The Lu's will be based on his/her 1996 applications under the special beef and suckler cow premium schemes and if the applicant is a milk producer, 897 gallons of his/her milk quota will be taken as equal to one livestock unit; (iii) if under 28 years of age on 1 January 1997, the applicant must: (a) have obtained the Teagasc certificate in farming or a higher qualification or (b) have at least three years practical experience in farming and have satisfactorily completed a course in farming of a minimum duration of 150 hours; (iv) if 28 years of age or over but under 35 years of age on 1 January 1997, the applicant must have the requirements set out at (iii) (a) or (iii) (b) above or have at least five years experience in farming.
Category B: Farmers who have applied regularly for the ewe premium scheme, including farmers who applied for the first time in 1996, and who can demonstrate that the operation of the quota limits will jeopardise the viability of their holding.
