Brian O'Shea (Waterford, Labour)
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Question 400: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the representations he has made at European level to ensure that all existing disadvantaged areas are retained and that new natural handicap criteria will be introduced to allow new areas to be included; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21299/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Commission is currently conducting a review of Disadvantaged Areas across the Community, having been mandated by the Council of Ministers to conduct the review. The object of the exercise is to establish a Community-wide system which will allow comparisons between regions, on the basis of eight bio-physical criteria, rather than the socio-economic criteria which were used when defining the current Disadvantaged Areas.

This is a very important issue for Ireland as the total area designated as disadvantaged is almost 75% of Ireland's total land area. From an economic perspective the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is particularly significant, contributing to the support of hi excess of 100,000 Irish farm families, whose ability to farm is restricted by the physical environment, in particular, the impact of the prevailing wet cold climatic conditions in Ireland.

I can fully understand and appreciate the current proposal to move from the existing socio-economic criteria for defining Disadvantaged Areas to a system of definition based on physical and climatic criteria. However, despite the significant progress made between officials of the Commission, the Joint Research Centre and this Department in addressing the scope of the new criteria, there are still areas which need further attention in order to ensure that the new criteria may accurately reflect the reality of farming in Ireland.

If, as seems to be the case, physical characteristics will be used to classify Disadvantaged Areas, the crucial one from our point of view is soil drainage, taking into account the impact of water logging. While the proposed criteria includes climate, it appears only to provide for the impact of drought on farming activities in the EU. In my view, there is also need to provide for the climate in North Western Europe and the impact of heavy rainfall on soil moisture conditions and the adverse impact this has on farming activities for long periods of the year, resulting in the land being unsuitable for grazing or machinery traffic - what is referred to technically as trafficability.

The other important criteria from Ireland's viewpoint are Soil and Slope. In common with most other Member States, currently there is insufficient information available to classify areas using the soil characteristics of texture/stoniness and rooting depth. The lack of detailed data across Member States is recognised by the Commission in this Communication and, as the Commission is already aware, a comprehensive soil classification survey is currently being undertaken in Ireland, following completion of which the required information will then be available.

I have raised concerns regarding the criteria at the Council of Ministers and has argued strongly for due recognition to be given to the restrictions which our climate places on farming activities for long periods of the year. My officials have had numerous meetings with Commission officials and, currently, a series of Working Groups involving all Member States, together with Commission officials and officials of the Joint Research Centre, under the chairmanship of the Czech Presidency, is ongoing.

I remain committed to working closely with the Commission to progress work in this area in order that the necessary analysis is completed allowing appropriate proposals to be brought forward to Council.