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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 14 Feb 1989

Vol. 387 No. 1

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Review.

47.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the qualifications of those who have been appointed to carry out a survey in connection with the proposed extension of the disadvantaged area boundaries; the way in which the areas, to be surveyed, were selected; and when it is expected that the survey will be completed.

54.

asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food (a) the criteria which will be used to determine the disadvantaged area review which is underway (b) if these criteria are any different to those which were used in the last review (c) when this work will commence (d) the names of those who will carry it out (e) when the submission will be ready to send to Brussels and (f) the length of time it will take the Commission to make a decision.

I propose to answer Questions 47 and 54 together.

The criteria used in the last survey in 1982/83 and also in the present survey are that an area must have less than 7.8 per cent of ploughed land, must have a stocking rate of less than one adult bovine livestock unit per forage hectare, must have a family farm income per male farm worker not exceeding 80 per cent of the national average, must have a population of not more than 27 inhabitants per square kilometre and must have at least 30 per cent of total working population engaged in agriculture.

The present survey commenced at the end of January and it is hoped to have it completed and the areas deemed suitable for classification or reclassification submitted to the EC Commission by the end of this year. While every effort will be made to secure early approval, it is not possible to indicate precisely when a Commission decision will be taken and the necessary procedures completed by the EC.

It is neither normal nor desirable to name the officers assigned to this survey work but I can convey to the Deputy that they come from the livestock agricultural officers and Land Commission inspectors of my Department. The agriculture officers selected to carry out the survey have formal qualifications in Agricultural Science at Diploma or higher levels. They will survey all areas submitted to my Department for review and will complete their part of the survey before the summer. Land Commission inspectors who have degrees in Agricultural Science will complete the second part of the survey later in the year.

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