Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 23 May 1990

Vol. 399 No. 1

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

Andrew Boylan

Ceist:

54 Mr. Boylan asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the system of appeal proposed for the unsuccessful areas in Counties Cavan and Monaghan under the disadvantaged areas schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Michael D'Arcy

Ceist:

55 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the system of appeal proposed for the unsuccessful areas in County Wexford who were excluded from the disadvantaged area scheme.

James Leonard

Ceist:

56 Mr. Leonard asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the way the family income supplement is calculated for each county as it is one of the criteria used in the designation of areas under the severely handicapped scheme.

Minister for Agriculture and Food (Mr. O'Kennedy)

I propose taking Questions Nos. 54, 55 and 56 together.

Pending approval and a decision by the EC on the proposals to extend and reclassify our disadvantaged areas and in line with the practice followed in the case of previous reviews, I cannot disclose which areas in particular are proposed for designation or for reclassification nor can I give any details of what appeals system might be approved.

In relation to the question put by Deputy Boylan, however, I can say that all lands in both Cavan and Monaghan are already classified as disadvantaged. In relation to the family income question put by Deputy Leonard, I can confirm that the average family farm income per male farm worker in an area related to a national average, that this national average was calculated from figures accepted by the EC and that the net margins used in assessing the incomes derived from different farm enterprises in the course of last year's survey corresponded to those used in compiling the national average.

On a more general note, I can state that I am very pleased with the outcome of the fourth review of our disadvantaged areas. It should lead to the designation of about two million acres as disadvantaged and to the reclassification of about 1.55 million acres and should produce the largest single extension and largest single reclassification of our disadvantaged areas to date. Given this very satisfactory result, I shall be making every effort to obtain early EC approval of the extension/reclassification now being proposed by Ireland.