Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2004
221 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if a submission to reclassify parts of County Monaghan as severely disadvantaged and to extend the disadvantaged status to all the BMW region has been made to the EU Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5757/04]
View answerThe position is that on one occasion in 2002 and on three occasions in 2003, my Department raised the issues of extension and reclassification of Ireland's disadvantaged areas at meetings with the EU Commission. On all four occasions the Commission services strongly made the point that a review request for designation or reclassification of any area could lead to a demand for justification of the current designation and classification of all Ireland's existing disadvantaged areas.
On the most recent occasion when my Department's officials endeavoured to progress this matter, at a meeting with the Commission on 9 December last, they were advised again by the Commission to be well aware of the risk associated with an examination of any formal request for designation or reclassification. In the light of the Commission's attitude, which has its basis in negative comments by the Court of Auditors, my Department is examining at present how best it can progress this matter further.
