asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries if he will set out in tabular form all the statistics furnished to the EEC Commission in relation to the poorer parts of County Limerick, particularly those areas in which the farmers' dole scheme is in operation, which are excluded from the disadvantaged areas schemes, alongside the appropriate criteria which it was held that these areas did not satisfy.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Limerick Statistics.
22.
The formal submission to the EEC Commission covered only those areas which could be clearly shown to meet simultaneously all the criteria relating to land quality, economic returns and population trends laid down in the directive.
An area of west Limerick, including that in which farmers are entitled to unemployment assistance on the notional income basis, was examined. It was found that the area could meet the population criteria and that a considerable part of it could be regarded as physically handicapped. In relation to the economic criterion, the average income per male worker engaged in agriculture was found to be above the national average instead of appreciably below it as required by the directive. For this reason, it was not included in the submission. However, following recent representations by farming organisations and other interests the position of this and one or two other areas in the country will, as I have previously stated, be looked at again. This further assessment would aim to define more precisely the parts of the west Limerick area which might be deemed to be genuinely physically handicapped and to produce more refined economic data with a view to justifying a submission to the Commission.
If western counties present similar data to the Minister as that presented by people in the west Limerick area, may we take it they will be reconsidered?
Yes. I have said this can be done.