Vol. 512 No. 6
113 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reasons townlands (details supplied) in County Monaghan were not classified as more severely disadvantaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26599/99]
The townlands listed below were considered by the disadvantaged areas appeals panel as part of its overall examination of areas for reclassification as more severely handicapped in County Monaghan. The criteria used to assess areas for more severely handicapped status were agreed between the disadvantaged areas appeals panel; the farming organisations and my Department, as follows. Income had to be less that 60% of national average income; land quality had to be four or lower on a scale of 0 to 9. The area had to be contiguous to the existing more severely handicapped boundary.
The EU Commission made it clear in discussions with my Department that the contiguity criterion would not be satisfied by areas which barely touched the existing MSH boundary and-or extended away from the boundary in long "fingers" of land. In addition, areas which, if reclassified, would result in "holes", i.e. non-reclassified land surrounded by more severely handicapped areas, would not be considered.
The following townlands were all rejected because the income in each case exceeded the limit of 60% of national average income: Cormeen, Drumanny, Drumgarkin, Dyan and Freame Mount Demesne in the DED of Dawsongrove (R138); Cornasoo, Corvoam, Creevagh, Darraghlan, Drumalt, Dunraymond and Glenish in the DED of Caddagh (R145); Cornaglare, Drummuck and Tullygillen in the DED of Kilmore (R154); Aghnaskea, Cormoy, Drumacoon, Drumbaragh, Drumshannon, Genagh and Killyfuddy in the DED of Killeevin (R132); Clondinnery and Lisalea in the DED of Newbliss (R133); Aughnaclea, Annamacneill, Ballynagarry, Cordoolagh, Cornanure, Drumroosk, Lantaur, Legacurry, Lennan, Mullan and Tiromedan in the DED of Tullycorbett (R163).
The remaining townlands were excluded for the following reasons: Cargaghramer, Coohey, Corfinlough, Cornacreeve and Drumlongfield in the DED of Tullycorbett satisfied the Income criterion but only Cornacreeve touches the MSH boundary and that only barely. Inclusion of these townlands would also create holes of LSH inside MSH areas.
In DED Killeevan, Annagose, Drummullan, Effernagh and Tinary satisfy the income criterion, but only Tinary touches the MSH boundary, and the rest stretch away from the boundary in a long "finger". In addition, their inclusion would cause a "hole" of LSH inside a MSH area.
The townlands of Drumguff, Lisdarragh and Teer in DED Newbliss, and the townlands of Glinch and Guardhill in DED Killeevan satisfy the income criterion. However, their inclusion would cause a "hole" of LSH inside a MSH area. Cavanagarvan and Lisnashannagh in the DED of Kilmore satisfy the income condition, but they stretch away from the MSH boundary.
In the DED of Caddagh, the townlands of Caddagh, Cordevlis South, Dromore, Drumgavny, Drumgreeny, Edenferkin, Garranroe, Lisnaveane, Losset, Tetoppa and Tirardan satisfy the income criterion. Edenferkin touches the MSH boundary but all the other townlands stretch away from Edenferkin in a long "finger", and are separated from the MSH boundary by another finger of townlands which do not satisfy the income criterion.
