Vol. 396 No. 9
85 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food if it is his intention to reduce or remove headage payments from the agricultural community if an area is designated as an environmentally sensitive area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
86 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way in which he proposes to allocate finance for the environmentally sensitive area scheme; whether the environmentally sensitive area will be voluntary or compulsory; the criteria which will be laid down by his Department in respect of the location of the environmentally sensitive area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together.
Arrangements for the application of EC measures relating to environmentally sensitive areas are in preparation in my Department and I am not in a position at this stage to provide information regarding the manner in which finance will be allocated or the criteria for the selection of locations. Participation in an environmentally sensitive areas scheme is voluntary.
The Community regulation governing environmentally sensitive areas does not require any change in the arrangements for headage payments in those areas.
The payments under the environmentally sensitive areas scheme are designed to compensate participants in the scheme for works undertaken or for loss of income arising from any changes in production practices that may be required.
