Rory O'Hanlon
Question:85 Dr. O'Hanlon asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the position regarding the inclusion of all of County Monaghan in the more severely handicapped area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18460/99]
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
The position is that when the disadvantaged areas appeals panel was commencing its examination of areas for reclassification in 1992 it was decided, following agreement with farming organisations, that the panel would base its recommendations on data gathered in survey conducted in 1989.
This data had been used in the previous, fourth, review to select areas for reclassification, based on an income criterion of "less than 40 per cent of national average income", with at least 40 per cent of the working population being engaged in agriculture.
It was agreed that if the income limit was raised to 60 per cent and the working population limit was disregarded, then the data would allow selection of a significant number of additional areas. A further condition was that the land must be rated at four or lower on a quality scale of zero to nine and also that selected areas must adjoin existing more severely handicapped areas.
Using these criteria, the appeals panel selected an additional 30 per cent of Monaghan for reclassification as more severely handicapped, and this was approved by the EU Commission in November 1995, bringing the total more severely handicapped area of Monaghan to 73 per cent of total land.
Following representations from farmers, farming organisations and public representatives regarding areas not included, it was decided to carry out a complete recheck of the less severely handicapped areas in Monaghan, including those reclassified in 1995. This recheck highlighted a number of areas which the appeals panel had inadvertently omitted from its original recommendation. A supplementary proposal to the EU Commission was prepared and submitted in April 1997 to include these additional areas.
Due to pressure of other work, the Commission did not examine this proposal until November 1998, and it was finally approved by the STAR Committee in February 1999, bringing the total more severely handicapped area in Monaghan to 85 per cent of total land.
I am satisfied that, based on the data available, all areas of County Monaghan which could be shown to satisfy the criteria for more severely handicapped status have now been reclassified.