Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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1. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the status of the process of reviewing qualifying areas for the areas of natural constraint scheme; if his Department has completed the mapping exercise; when the maps will be published; the consultation that will be undertaken with farmers on the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5064/17]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I ask the Minister for an update on the process of reviewing qualifying areas where the areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme, whether his Department completed the mapping exercise, when the maps will be published, what consultation will be undertaken with farmers on the review and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the rural development regulations, each member state must designate areas eligible for payments under the areas of natural constraints, ANC, scheme.  The ANC scheme replaces the previous disadvantaged areas scheme or less favoured areas scheme. The designation of eligible areas under these schemes to date has been based on a range of socioeconomic factors. From 2018, eligible areas must instead be designated using a list of biophysical criteria. In cases where a member state does not introduce this new system for payment, the old scheme remains in place but payments must be phased out on a digressive basis. From Ireland's point of view, this must be avoided.

Under the new system of designation, which I have said must be introduced in 2018, eligible areas will have to be designated on the basis of biophysical criteria.  The criteria set out in the legislation are: low temperature; dryness; excess soil moisture; limited soil drainage; unfavourable texture and stoniness; shallow rooting depth; poor chemical properties; and steep slopes. A number of the criteria will not have an impact on the new designation in Ireland, while others will have a small impact. In effect, the Irish process will be most impacted by soil drainage and soil moisture excess. The Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on sourcing and analysing the data regarding the new criteria. Department officials have also been in contact with the joint research centre and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, DG Agri, in the EU Commission in regard to technical issues arising.

Technical work on biophysical criteria in conjunction with the fine tuning and designation of areas of specific constraint processes will produce a new map of areas which are deemed to be eligible. This designation must be signed off by the JRC and DG Agri. The process of moving from the current position with the technical work to the agreement of the designation and of the new scheme with the Commission will be complex and detailed. This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process. Once this process is complete, the draft data will provide the basis for the identification of eligible areas for ANC. It is envisaged that stakeholders will be consulted as this process develops. 

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for the response. As I am sure he is well aware, there is much concern in the farming community in regard to this review. The ANC payment can amount to about €4,000 for many farmers across the country. It is particularly important in more disadvantaged areas. I hoped that the Minister would be able to give me some new information regarding the process. We have been aware of what he said. I hope the Minister can clarify the timeline involved. When will the maps be published? Can he give an outline on that today?

Will there be an appeals system for any farmers who might be excluded? Would an appeals system and the consultation to which he referred be completed before he goes to the European Commission for approval?

Will the Minister give a commitment that every possible action will be taken by him and the Department to ensure that those who have payments retain them? It is also important that in the new ANC scheme there is proper funding that reflects the constraints of the land concerned so that farmers on hill land and severely constrained low land receive payments that properly reflect the difficulties involved in farming such areas.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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On the latter point on proper funding, it is something that the Government is committed to. In the programme for Government, we have provided for an additional €25 million in ANC payments in 2018. I appreciate that will not go all the way to make up the cuts in disadvantaged areas that were introduced when Fianna Fáil was last in government, but it is a step in the right direction.

The critical timeline is that farmers must have the knowledge of the outcome in order to inform their 2018 basic payment scheme application. I expect it will be several weeks before we have a draft outline of maps which have the biophysical criteria superimposed on a map of Ireland and which show the areas that are included or excluded. It is my ambition, in so far as is possible, to ensure that anybody who currently receives a payment holds on to it.

I cannot definitively say what the biophysical criteria will be. The State is obliged to apply the new criteria. As I said, the timeline for the publication of maps which will inform the process will take several weeks. There will be consultation and an appeals process before there is a final outcome. The critical timeline is that this matter must be completed to allow sufficient time to make farmers to submit basic payment scheme applications in 2018.

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to the appeals and consultation process. Will it be completed before the Minister submits maps to the Commission for approval? Can the Minister be crystal clear about that?

The Minister referred to the €25 million allocated for ANCs for next year. Will he ensure that the money is distributed in a way that ensures those farmers who are farming lands with greater constraints, such as hill lands and severely disadvantaged low lands, will be the chief beneficiaries of the funding?

The Minister avoided my question on ensuring that the new scheme properly reflects the constraints on land. The payment currently does not do that. There are very small differences in the payment per hectare between the three tiers. It is crucial that the review properly reflects the difficultly of making a profit on poorer land where it is harder to make a margin, and such farmers must be properly compensated.

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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I appreciate the Deputy's points. No decisions have been made with regard to how the additional €25 million will be spent in 2018. The funding is additional to current payments. As it said, there will be an appeals system and engagement with stakeholders. That will come within the confines set out by the European Commission in terms of the biophysical criteria. We are several weeks away from having an outline of the outcome of such criteria, which are clearly laid down in EU directives. I outlined them at the start of my response. There will be engagement with stakeholders. It is my ambition and that of my Department, officials and the Minister of State, Deputy Andrew Doyle, to ensure that what we have we hold this regard.