Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 5

Written Answers. - Area Aid Scheme.

Michael Creed

Question:

195 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if officials from his Department carried out inspections on lands in connection with the categorisation of lands as mountain or low land in the context of the 2001 area aid scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24892/01]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

In so far as the classification of land is concerned the position is that when the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowance schemes were first introduced in Ireland in 1975 the disadvantaged status of all land in the country had to be determined. In general land was classified as non-disadvantaged, less severely handicapped and more severely handicapped. The criteria concerning the designation of areas as disadvantaged are set out in EEC Directive 85/350. These criteria relate to (1) Infertile land: (a) less than 7.8% of area must be ploughed, (b) less than one livestock unit per forage hectare; (2) farm income: (a) family farm income per male farm worker must not exceed 80% of national average; (3) population: (a) not greater than 27 inhabitants per square kilometre, (b) minimum of 30% of working population engaged in agriculture.

A number of reviews of disadvantaged areas have since been carried, out most recently in 1996, resulting in some 75% of land in Ireland now being classified as disadvantaged. Some 59% of land is classified as more severely handicapped while the remaining 16% is classified as less severely handicapped. When the sheep headage element of the disadvantaged areas compensatory allowance schemes was being introduced it was decided that certain sheep farmers who had mountain breeding ewes which were substantially maintained on mountain type grazings should be paid headage grants on such ewes. Mountain breeding ewes were defined as Blackface Moun tain – horny – and Cheviot, and first crosses between or on these breeds. No sheep headage grants were payable to farmers who maintained other breeding ewes. However, headage grants were also paid on hogget ewes maintained on mountain and lowland grazings.

When the land parcel identification system was introduced in 1996 it became necessary to identify all land areas which were traditionally treated as mountain type grazings for sheep headage purposes in order that sheep headage grants could continue to be paid to those farmers who maintained mountain breeding ewes. In designating such areas on the land parcel identification system regard had to be had to certain natural boundaries such as rivers and roads and it was not possible to exclude certain farms where sheep production did not take place. However the designation of mountain type grazing suited most farmers, especially those engaged in sheep production allowing them to be paid headage grants on mountain breeding ewes.

I am conscious of the difficulty which mountain classification causes for some farmers under the new area based compensatory allowance scheme and I have carried out a review of the scheme with a view to finding the most equitable arrangements with particular reference to farmers with mountain type land. In this connection I have recently made a formal submission to the European Commission seeking approval for a revision of the scheme. I should point out however that many farmers with mountain type land particularly those with sheep only or those who, because of their farming enterprise, were limited to payment on 30 livestock units under the old animal based system, are in fact gaining substantially under the new scheme.