Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 453: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he considers it acceptable that farmers and agents who are now submitting their single farm payment applications on-line, are not being given the conditions for the 2012 disadvantaged area scheme. [12656/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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It is intended that revised Terms and Conditions for the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme will be published immediately the proposed changes, as announced following the 2012 Budget, are agreed by the EU Commission. The proposed changes do not concern the essential classification of the Disadvantaged Areas and, therefore, applicants are free to lodge applications on the understanding, as heretofore, that, should they otherwise prove eligible for the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, the application will be taken as also being an application for that Scheme. It will be appreciated that the application is, in the first instance, an application under the Single Payment Scheme.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of farmers in County Donegal currently in the agri-environment option scheme that will be affected by the new specifications for managing species rich grassland, introduced in 2011, which state that supplementary feeding may not take place on species rich grassland parcels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12657/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The new specification introduced in 2011 specified that supplementary feeding was not permitted on areas claimed as Species Rich Grassland and applies to AEOS 2 only. 786 Donegal farmers selected Species Rich Grassland in their 2011 application to join the scheme and accordingly all are subject to this scheme condition.