Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I take it from the Minister's response that there is no prospect of a further delay being sought by the Minister or by others at European level in the coming months and that the process is expected to be completed by 1 January next year. With regard to the where the Department is at, have the maps been fully completed? I would have thought they would be complete, given we were originally working towards a deadline of the start of the current year. From the information the Minister currently has to hand, will he give us an update in regard to the impact the new biophysical criteria are having on those areas that are currently designated?

There are two key concerns coming from the farming community. First, those who are currently availing of the ANC payment are very concerned that they would continue to avail of it. Second, those who have particularly high constraints on their land are keen to ensure there is a proper payment that reflects the type of constraint they have to deal with in their farming. What options is the Minister considering with regard to the fine-tuning of the specific constraints? Will the idea of output and productivity of land play any role in regard to designation?

See this speech in context