Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 December 2018
168. Deputy Mary Butler asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the area of Stonehouse, Kilmeaden, County Waterford, was not included in the review of areas qualifying for payment under the areas of natural constraint scheme; the criteria used to determine these areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52550/18]
View answerUnder the current Rural Development Regulation (and subsequent amendments under the Omnibus Regulation) Member States are required to change the approach to the designation of land under the Areas of Natural Constraints Scheme. To date my Department had been identifying eligible areas using a range of socio-economic indicators such as family farm income, population density, percentage of working population engaged in agriculture, and stocking density.
From 2019, eligible areas must instead be designated using the following list of bio-physical criteria:
- Low temperature
- Dryness
- Excess soil moisture
- Limited soil drainage
- Unfavourable texture and stoniness
- Shallow rooting depth
- Poor chemical properties
- Steep slope
This process has now been completed and in recent weeks I have published details in relation to the outcome and have completed a series of consultation meetings with key stakeholders.
The townland in question has not met the thresholds set out in the EU Regulations in relation to the above bio-physical criteria. In such cases, it is also possible for townlands to be deemed eligible as "areas of specific constraint". In Ireland's case, we have agreed an approach with the EU Commission to identifying such areas by reference to criteria pertaining to areas of specific environmental importance, townlands facing structural issues relating to farm size and farm fragmentation, and townlands facing constraints relating to the level of permanent grassland cover and field size. The townland in question did not, however, satisfy any of the thresholds in this regard.
For any farmer who wishes to appeal the status of a particular townland in the 2019 ANC scheme, an independently chaired appeals process is available. Should a farmer wish to make such an appeal, my Department will provide full information in relation to the data underpinning the status of the townland in order that an appeal can be based on full information. My Department is currently writing to impacted farmers and this letter includes a form to instigate an appeal. The appeals form is also available on www.agriculture.gov.ie.
