asked the Minister for Agriculture if the present system whereby the classification of districts under the EEC disadvantaged areas scheme depends on the overall prosperity of a district electoral division will be discontinued, so that genuinely disadvantaged areas within such divisions may qualify for grants at the full rate.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
164.
The criteria for designation of an area as disadvantaged are laid down in Article 3.4 of Council Directive 75/268/EEC and may be summarised as (a) adverse physical handicaps such as infertility of the soil; (b) low economic returns and (c) a low or dwindling population depending mainly on farming — all of which criteria must be simultaneously proven to the satisfaction of the Community authorities. In any event, as the directive is oriented to broad areas and not to small pockets of poor land, the question of areas smaller than district electoral divisions qualifying for aid thereunder would not arise.
165.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will press for the inclusion of the Knockmealdown and Comeragh, mountain areas of County Waterford, namely, Ballyeafy, Ballysaggart, Mellery, Ballinamult, Ballymacarbery-Nire Valley, Kilbrien, Kilrossanty and Rathgormack, in the disadvantaged areas scheme, so that they may qualify for EEC grants at the maximum rate.
In the review carried out in 1978 of the boundaries of the disadvantaged areas and of the more severely handicapped parts of those areas, the position in the Knockmealdown and Comeragh mountain areas was most carefully considered. The boundary adjustments that were recently announced were made only after protracted negotiations at Brussels, both at Council and Commission level. It was not found possible for this region, which is already designated as part of the disadvantaged areas, to be classified as more severely handicapped. The position is being kept under continuous review, however, and should circumstances so permit, the classification of the area will be further considered. In view of the difficulties at Community level the Government decided to extend to this region, at a cost to the national Exchequer, assistance for land drainage at the same rates as apply under the western drainage scheme.