Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 23 Jun 1994

Vol. 444 No. 3

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas.

Máirín Quill

Question:

19 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if farmers who become eligible for additional headage payment by reason of extension and reclassification of the disadvantaged areas will receive their full entitlement for 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Avril Doyle

Question:

32 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the reason it has taken three years to date for the appeals panel to complete its work of the extension and reclassification of areas under the less favoured areas directive; when a response from Brussels on the extension submission will be received; and when the reclassification submission will be sent to Brussels.

Peadar Clohessy

Question:

39 Mr. Clohessy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if farmers who become eligible for additional headage payment by reason of extension and reclassification of the disadvantaged areas will receive their full entitlement for 1994; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Peter Barry

Question:

50 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry his views on whether all of Ireland should be declared a disadvantaged area under the less favoured areas directive; if so, if he will press for this in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Michael Creed

Question:

106 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the current position regarding the extension and reclassification of the disadvantaged areas.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry (Mr. J. Walsh)

I intend to take Questions Nos. 19, 32, 39, 50 and 106 together. The criteria for designating areas as disadvantaged are laid down in the less favoured areas directive and, inter alia, involve comparing certain agricultural conditions in the areas concerned with those in the country as a whole. By definition this precludes the whole country being classified as disadvantaged.

I have, however, sought to maximise the area of the country which is classified as disadvantaged in accordance with the criteria laid down. In all, there have been five reviews of boundaries of disadvantaged areas. The fifth review was submitted by the Government to the EU Commission in November 1993. If all the areas proposed in the submission were to be accepted by the EU, about 75 per cent of the area of the country would be classified as disadvantaged.

In addition, the appeals panel has completed its work on reclassification of areas and I expect to receive its report next month. Based on an examination of this report, I will make a submission to the EC Commission on reclassification of areas at the earliest possible date.

We do not yet know when the Commission will reach a decision on the proposed extension. On the assumption that the decision will be favourable, it should then make a proposal to the EU Council of Ministers which can decide on it only after it has received the advice of the European Parliament. The reclassification issue is for the Commission itself to decide. We are, of course, pressing the Commission for decisions as early as possible. Until we know the timescale involved it is, of course, impossible to say when the new payments will begin.