The disadvantaged areas appeals panel examined all areas from which appeals for reclassification were received. In the case of Monaghan, the available data indicated that it would not be possible to recommend all of the existing less severely handicapped areas for reclassification, as many of these areas exceeded the limit of 60 per cent of national average income.
However, I have had the data relating to Monaghan re-examined, and a number of areas have been identified which were not considered during the appeals panel's initial examination. I have now substituted a proposal to the EU Commission recommending that some additional areas of Monaghan be reclassified as more severely handicapped.