asked the Minister for Agriculture when a decision is expected from the EEC regarding the request for an extension of the severely handicapped area scheme under council directive 75/268/EEC.
43.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
42.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the reason for the delay in making submissions to Brussels with regard to the inclusion of additional areas in the disadvantaged areas scheme in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement as to when these submissions will be made to Brussels.
44.
asked the Minister for Agriculture the progress made in the last ten months in regard to enlarging the disadvantaged areas scheme in County Limerick.
45.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will have all of the north Kerry constituency included in the severely handicapped disadvantaged area.
46.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he agrees that the district electoral divisions of Ballynacourtney, Clarenbridge, Oranmore, Ardrahan, Cahermore, Castletaylor, Drumacoo, Killeely, Killenavarra, Rahsane and Ske hanagh and Beagh in south County Galway comply with the criteria laid down in EEC Council Directives 75/268 and 75/272 and should now be reclassified as being severely handicapped; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
47.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will extend the boundaries of the severely handicapped areas in west Cork.
48.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if the townlands of Rossnacreena and Derryduff in County Laois are to be included in the areas submitted to Brussels for designation under the disadvantaged areas scheme.
It is proposed to take Questions Nos. 42 to 48, inclusive, together.
The position in the areas mentioned in the questions has been examined in the course of the national boundary review of disadvantaged areas, which is now nearing completion in my Department. As I indicated in reply to a question on 19 October, the review is a prelude to consideration by the Government and later by the EEC authorities, of the case for modification of the boundaries in this country. In considering any extension of the existing disadvantaged areas it will of course be necessary to bear in mind the position in regard to the availability of Exchequer resources for the purpose.
49.
asked the Minister for Agriculture if those areas where there was an increase in population, despite a decrease in the number of people involved in agriculture, are to be excluded from eligibility as severely handicapped areas due to an EEC regulation, which states that an increase in population disqualifies an area from being designated as severely handicapped.
Classification of disadvantaged areas in Ireland into "more severely handicapped" and "less severely handicapped" in the western region, is in accordance with Article 7.1 of Council Directive 75/268/EEC, which states that "Member States shall fix the amounts of the compensatory allowance according to the severity of the permanent natural handicaps affecting farming activities". The question of any population changes does not therefore arise in this particular context.