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

Deputy McLoughlin will be aware that last year we introduced an additional payment of €25 million under the ANC scheme, probably better known as the disadvantaged area scheme. In delivering that payment, we decided to target it at a rate of €13 million for the most severely handicapped which is the hill and mountain land to which the Deputy referred, €9 million for the intermediary level of disadvantage and €3 million for the lower level of disadvantage. That will now be enhanced by an additional €23 million that we have secured in this year's budget which, cumulatively, will bring us back to the €250 million position where ANC payments were prior to 2008 when they were cut by the then Fianna Fáil Government. We are back to that level of payment under the ANC scheme. While it is my intention to consult with farm organisations and stakeholders as to how that additional €23 million should be allocated, my own preferred course would be to repeat the direction of travel that we did last and focus the payment at those who have the highest level of disadvantage, and thereby build on the schemes that we have had in the area of sheep welfare, etc. This would deliver more to those farmers who are in a low income sector working in a most disadvantaged area and delivering significant public goods at the same time.

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