As part of the reform of the Common Agriculture Policy in 1992, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry was obliged under Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3508/92 to establish an integrated administration and control system. A specific requirement of the system was the development of an alpha-numeric land parcel identification system — LPIS — for all land parcels which are the subject of an area aid application. The purpose of this parcel identification system is to provide the Department with a data-base whereby land parcels being claimed for area aid purposes can be located, identified and have area values and land use attributed. The original deadline for implementation of the system was 1 January 1996 but this was extended recently to 1 January 1997.