John McGuinness
Ceist:262 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when the scheme for milk quotas for new entrants will be announced for 2000. [1270/00]
Written Answers. - Milk Quota.
Under the national milk quota restructuring scheme a share of the available pool of milk has been set aside for new entrants with quota and new entrants without quota. Under the new arrangements for the management of the quota regime, details of which I announced recently, the position from 1 April 2000 will be that apart from certain exceptions, quota will only transfer by way of a restructuring scheme operated within each milk purchaser, co-operative-dairy, area. Details of the categories of producers who may benefit under the scheme will be announced as soon as possible following consultations with the milk quota review group.
I also recently announced details for the allocation of five million gallons, 22.7 million litres, with effect from 1 April 2000 to younger farmers already involved in milk production.