Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That information is available; it is not hidden. We considered making decisions on cuts last year on the basis of levels of disadvantage in respect of making savings in the disadvantaged areas scheme. We can do that again this year. We made a decision on that very issue. In my view farms that are split between disadvantaged areas and non-disadvantaged areas are not as disadvantaged in their disadvantaged segment as farms that are fully in disadvantaged areas. If 70% of a farm is non-disadvantaged, the farmer should not get the same level of payment on the remaining 30% as someone whose entire farm is in a disadvantaged area. We changed that part of the scheme. Farmers whose lands are partially in disadvantaged areas will only get a proportion of disadvantaged payment relative to the overall amount of land that is in the disadvantaged area.