asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the EC criteria for qualification for severely handicapped area status; and the criteria for qualification for less severely handicapped area status.
94.
Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Schemes.
89.
asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if he will outline the criteria for inclusion in the severely handicapped areas scheme; the criteria for inclusion in the less severely handicapped areas scheme; and the criteria for mountain sheep grazing status.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 89 and 94 together.
The criteria for inclusion of any area in Ireland's disadvantaged areas (whether as severely handicapped, as less severely handicapped or as mountain sheep grazing land) are that it has a stocking rate of less than one livestock unit per hectare, that less than 7.8 per cent of the area be ploughed land, that the family farm income per male farm worker in the area not exceed 80 per cent of the national average family farm income per male farm worker, that the population of the area not exceed 27 people per square kilometre and that at least 30 per cent of the working population of the area be engaged in agriculture.
These criteria were fixed by the EC in Council Directive 85/350/EEC of 27 June 1985.