I welcome the Minister of State, my council colleague, to the House. He comes from a severely disadvantaged area in terms of EC policy and I am sure that he will be receptive to my case on behalf of the farming community in north Cork. I will not detain the Minister too long with details. I wish to state the reasons these areas throughout north Cork should be included in the disadvantaged areas scheme. More importantly, I would like to call on him to begin the process of examining the applications from the farming community and to try to have those examinations concluded as quickly as possible. That is the most important thing which is needed at present.
Let me speak of the disadvantaged areas scheme as a whole. The advantages which fall to communities included in the scheme are in many cases quite substantial and accordingly it can be understood quite easily why any area which feels it would qualify under the different criteria will make a serious attempt to be included. The area I am speaking of is a large area throughout north Cork, the Mallow, Fermoy, Mitchelstown area, and they believe they qualify for inclusion under the different criteria. Accordingly, at present they are seeking inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme. They began the application procedure a little over a year ago when they examined the different criteria which are considered necessary. They felt they qualified under these criteria.
Basically, the three criteria are as follows: (1) A record of a falling population in the areas over a number of years; (2) an average income which is lower than the average national income and (3) a poorer soil quality. Within the north Cork community it would seem that these criteria are fulfilled and, accordingly, we feel we have a genuine right to inclusion in the scheme. A little over a year ago meetings were held throughout the north Cork region. Farmers were contacted, different groupings were set up, investigations were begun and surveys were carried out. In doing all of this, the farming community received the full and active support of the ACOT personnel to whom they are very thankful and it is significant that the ACOT personnel were of the opinion that this area should qualify for the disadvantaged areas scheme.
These areas encompass the towns of Mallow, Mitchelstown and Fermoy and the advantages to these regions of a decision by the Government to include the areas in the western package scheme would be tremendous. Within this area there is a huge forestry potential. At the moment the amount of forestry land in this area is quite minimal and it could be increased drastically if the grants which are at present available under the disadvantaged areas scheme became available to north Cork. There would be a major take-off in the forestry industry in this area.
The whole community, not just the farming community, is aware of the importance of an increase in forestry acreage throughout the country. The Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Deputy Smith, seems to be doing a very good job in this regard, but I think farmers will only invest in private forestry if grants are available. The grants which are available in the disadvantaged areas at present are most attractive and, accordingly, an increase in forestry would be very evident in he north Cork region should we gain disadvantaged status.
It is important, especially at a time of milk quotas and grain quotas throughout the European Communities, that extra farming options are made available to our agricultural community and the designation as a disadvantaged area would help in this respect. The sheep industry would also benefit. At present, there still is a sheep meat deficit throughout the European Communities. I know that this is a position that could change quite easily in a relatively short period of time but, again, it must be noted that the sheep industry in the north Cork area would expand quite dramatically if the extra grants which are available under the disadvantaged areas could be availed of.
The beef industry, which is at present going through a difficult period would also benefit a lot from the extra suckler grants, etc. that are available. It must be admitted that there would be great scope for increased agricultural diversification if we were included in the disadvantaged areas scheme. Taken together all these advantages, would provide a huge income boost for the whole north Cork region.
A decision by the Government to extend the disadvantaged areas to include the north Cork region of which I speak, would be the biggest economic boost to north Cork and to Cork city for many years, which we must not forget. That economic boost was never more needed than it is at present because the scourge of emigration, which we thought had left us is again coming back to haunt us. A village only four or five miles from where I live, a little place called Kilavullen, is at present suffering from such an emigration problem that out of a population of 200 or 300, 30 people who had emigrated came home at Christmas. When you consider figures like that, you would have to accept that this scourge of emigration is hitting areas which it had not hit before. Accordingly, we must do everything in our power to try to increase employment and increase economic activity in these areas, and the disadvantaged area status would be very helpful in this respect.
We cannot forget the fact that the funding is coming at a rate of 50 per cent from the EC and that is good value. Basically every pound spent costs only 50p and that must be considered a bargain.
The first step which has to be taken, and this step has not been taken, which is the cause of major disappointment to the farming community, is the assessment of their applications. A year ago they were told an assessment would be carried out as soon as possible and it was hoped a start would be made in the summer of 1987. The assessment of their cases and the examination of the land would not cost a lot of money: in fact, it could cost absolutely nothing because the personnel are available in the Department and all it means is transferring them from the comforts of Agriculture House to the land for a couple of weeks so that they can begin the examination. That is the priority at present. We are seeking that the assessment process should begin and that is not much to ask for.
As long as we are assessed, and assessed fairly, we are more than prepared to accept the decision of the Government. We are not asking for millions of pounds overnight. We are not asking for millions of pounds next month or even perhaps next year, we just want a start to be made, so that the situation can be clarified. I appeal to the Minister not just in the long term to treat our case with favourable consideration but, more importantly, in the short term to begin the processing of the applications. In the long term it will be of tremendous economic benefit to the people of north Cork. I will leave my comments at that, there is little more that has to be said. I hope the Minister's reply will be favourable.
