Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 Mar 2000

Vol. 516 No. 6

Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

Michael Ring

Ceist:

228 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the changes, if any, proposed to the headage schemes under Agenda 2000 with particular reference to applications being restricted to land rather than livestock units and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8911/00]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The disadvantaged areas scheme based on cattle, sheep, equines and goats will continue in 2000.

In accordance with article 14 of Council Regulation 1297-1999, compensatory allowances in the disadvantaged areas will, from 2001, be paid on a per hectare rather than a per animal basis. Payment will be confined to farmers who farm a minimum area of land in a disadvantaged area, who undertake to continue farming in a disadvantaged area for at least five years from the first payment of a compensatory allowance and who apply usual good farming practices compatible with the need to safeguard the environment and maintain the countryside, in particular by sustainable farming.

The Government is committed, in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, to protect the payment levels to the categories of farmers for whom disadvantaged areas payments are an important element of their total incomes. A task force, representative of my Department and the farm organisations is currently working on the design of a new scheme. It is expected that this work will be completed shortly.