Written Answers. - Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.
Rory O'Hanlon
Ceist:
207
Dr. O'Hanlon
asked the
Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
the progress which has been made in efforts to include more of County Monaghan in the more severely handicapped area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[19952/01]
The position is that following the most recent review of disadvantaged areas, some 15% of County Monaghan remained classified as less severely handicapped.
Under the old disadvantaged areas headage schemes farmers in more severely handicapped areas could apply for animal headage grants on all types of cattle, on equines, goats, mountain breeding ewes and hoggets on mountain land and on hogget ewes in lowland areas. Certain ceilings applied depending on the type of animals on the holding. Farmers in less severely handicapped areas were restricted to headage grants on up to 30 beef cows only and on equines, goats and hogget ewes in lowland areas.
Under Agenda 2000 the old animal headage system is being replaced by a new area based compensatory allowance scheme. The new scheme comes into effect this year and provides for area related payments as follows:
|
More severely handicapped (lowland)
|
£70 per hectare on up to 45 hectares
|
|
Less severely handicapped (lowland)
|
£60 per hectare on up to 45 hectares
|
|
Mountain type land
|
£45 per hectare on up to 60 hectares
|
Where a farmer farms a combination of land categories he will be paid on lowland, more severely handicapped, first, lowland or less severely handicapped next and mountain grazing last.
If a farmer only has lowland, that is more severely handicapped land, and/or less severely handicapped his overall limit is 45 hectares. If he has a combination of lowland, that is more severely handicapped and/or lowland, less severely handicapped, and some mountain type land, he will be paid on up to 45 hectares lowland and up to an extra 15 hectares of mountain subject to an overall limit of 60 hectares.
No progress has been made in relation to the disadvantaged status of land in County Monaghan pending finalisation and issue of payments under the new area based scheme.
