Billy Timmins
Question:28 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if there will be no change to the status of land classification in County Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9212/04]
View answerWednesday, 24 March 2004
Questions (28)
Written answers
Following the most recent revision in 1999 of the list of more severely handicapped areas in County Monaghan, some 85% of the land in the county is now classified as more severely handicapped. On the basis of the data used in the revisions which took place in the 1990s, the remaining 15% of County Monaghan could not be reclassified as more severely handicapped.
There is a commitment in Sustaining Progress to examine, in conjunction with the European Commission, the question of designating the remaining parts of County Monaghan as severely handicapped. My Department has raised this matter at a number of meetings with the Commission and on each occasion the Commission services strongly made the point that a review request for 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 reclassification. In 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.