Ned O'Keeffe
Ceist:215 Mr. N. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if an additional suckler quota will be granted to a person (details supplied) in County Cork. [25196/03]
Written Answers. - Suckler Cow Quota.
The person named submitted an application for an allocation of quota from the 2004 suckler cow national reserve under category D, which caters for farmers who regularly apply for the suckler cow premium and need additional quota to ensure the future viability of their holdings. The position is that all applications to the 2004 national reserve are being processed at present and it is hoped to have allocations of quota made by late November 2003 to all qualifying applicants under the priority categories A – first time applicants under 35 years of age; B farmers with holdings on off-shore islands; and C organic farmers who are registered with the Department. At that stage if there are quota rights still available in the reserve, allocations will be made to eligible applicants under category D commencing with those with the lowest livestock units and continuing in increasing steps of one livestock unit until all the available quota is used. It is hoped to have those allocations, if any, completed by early December 2003.
In the circumstances, it is not possible at this stage to indicate whether or not the person named will be allocated additional suckler cow quota from the 2004 national reserve.