Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the latter point, the €25 million commitment in the programme for Government is an endeavour to restore payments which were previously withdrawn. Obviously that payment commitment remains, but that is a matter for the budget later this year. It is certainly my intention to deliver on that commitment. It is unclear what the Commission's requirement would be if it amends the regulations in this area. I suspect it would then give member states more time to comply with the regulations. We had hoped that we would have been in a position to publish maps in the summer of this year, as I indicated at all stages. We are not in that space yet. If we get an extension of time it will enable us to meet with the new deadline at greater ease in completing that job of work.

At all stages it will involve consultation with the farming organisations. I appreciate that meetings are being organised the length and breadth of the country by concerned farmers, including farmers who are within the disadvantaged area who fear that they may be excluded under the new bio-physical criteria and farmers who are excluded under the old socio-economic criteria who have an ambition to be included. Obviously the consultation process and the information that will be contained in the Department's analysis in due course will be communicated to farmers at the appropriate time. They will be given an opportunity to engage with officials and myself and my colleague, the Minister of State, at that stage. The process will be the same, but I suspect that if the Commission amends the regulation it will extend the timeline for preparation of the maps.

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