asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he has received an application to include the Castlepollard area, County Westmeath, in the disadvantaged areas scheme.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
12.
On 16 March 1987 my Department received from County Meath Committee of Agriculture a request for the inclusion in the disadvantaged areas of certain townlands in the district electoral divisions of Ballinlough, Boherboy, Burry, Castlekieran, Crossakiel, Crosskeys, Killallon, Killeagh, Kilskeer, Knocklough, Loughan, Moylagh and Oldcastle in the north-western part of County Meath which adjoins the Castlepollard area of the county. On 27 January 1989, almost two years later, I received from Deputy Bruton a request on behalf of some 12 farmers with postal addresses in Castlepollard, Collinstown and Finea in County Westmeath that the area they farmed — which included lands in north-western Meath — be included in the disadvantaged areas.
These lands will be examined in the course of the nationwide survey of areas which commenced at the end of January and they will be included in the general submission to the EC subsequently for approval if they are found to meet the criteria for inclusion as disadvantaged areas.
I thank the Minister for his reply and ask him to draw my representations to him to the attention of the county agricultural committee in County Westmeath who might have done as their neighbours in County Meath did and made a formal application.
That is hardly right.
Does the Minister agree that inclusion in the disadvantaged areas is one of the most effective ways of getting money from Brussels into the hands of Irish people and assisting peripheral regions, more effective perhaps than money spent in other more indirect ways? Would he further agree that the Castlepollard area of north Westmeath has a particular problem of disadvantage in that it is not an area where there is heavy production and farmers are forced to rely on less profitable and more unreliable systems of agriculture? Will he take that factor into account in dealing urgently with this application?
In reply to the first part of the supplementary, not only do I agree, but it is a view I share with great conviction and one I have expressed constantly at the Council. No matter what else you try to do in disadvantaged areas by way of Structural Funds, there is nothing as effective as the headage payments, what are called compensatory payments under the headage schemes. Nothing else will enhance income and secure farm incomes as much as those. I assure the Deputy that because of that, taking the second point, I have reactivated the application either for extension of disadvantaged areas or for reclassification of mildly handicapped into severely handicapped. We are again, as in other questions today, ad idem on this. I hope we will get this examination concluded and get the necessary funds from Europe as well to include places like Castlepollard which, I must say, I do not know in detail, but we will know a bit more——
I will give the Minister a guided tour.
Question No. 13.
Why has it taken two years to stir the Minister to action?
I have called Question No. 13.
(Interruptions.)
A Cheann Comhairle——
I have called the next question, Minister.
Deputy O'Keeffe asked my why it takes two years——
Yes, two years.
I have called Question No. 13. The Chair shall be obeyed in such matters.
The Deputy who asked the question knows that the application the previous Government put in was rejected.
(Interruptions.)
Order, please.