Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 19 May 1992

Vol. 419 No. 9

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas.

Ivan Yates

Question:

164 Mr. Yates asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will clarify the situation in relation to the grading procedure by Land Commission inspectors as part of the disadvantaged areas appeal process; if certain categories of grading, without reference to inspection, would disallow fodder intakes in the reckonability of stocking rates, and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. Walsh)

The assessment of land by experienced Land Commission Inspectors is a well established procedure which has been an integral part of the process of identifying homogeneous areas with permanent handicaps for designation under the Disadvantaged Areas Schemes. The grading provides an independent yardstick to assess the relative potential or stock carrying capacity of areas.

Both the Appeals Panel and the Department accept that farmers living in an area of limited potential would find it necessary to import feedstuffs to maintain their stock numbers and consequently details of imported feed were recorded in the recent survey. While the survey results will be analysed initially on the basis of forage acreage, those cases which fail to meet the stocking density criterion will be given a supplementary analysis taking equivalent feed acreage into account. I understand that cases which fail on the forage acreage basis but pass using forage and feed acreages combined would be recommended by the Panel to my Department for inclusion and that the Land Commission assessments would be used by the Panel were appropriate to support these cases.