Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 172: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if a person (details supplied) in County Cork will be included in the disadvantaged area scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27062/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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An application under the 2010 Single Payment and other Area Based Schemes was received from the person named on 11 May 2010. While there are three parcels listed on this application, none of the three are situated in a Less Favoured Area (known as Disadvantaged Areas in Ireland), as designated under the provisions of the governing EU Directives and Regulations.

The Commission is currently conducting a review of Less Favoured Areas across the EU, having been mandated by the Council of Ministers to conduct that review. The object of the exercise is to establish an EU-wide system, which will allow comparisons between regions; the proposal represents a move away from designation based on socio-economic factors, (declining rural population, low productivity and low farm incomes), to a methodology favouring physical characteristics, (soil type, poor climate, slope and altitude of land). While the Commission review is ongoing, it is envisaged that any changes to the Scheme will not be introduced before 2014.