Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 13: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the 2012 disadvantaged area scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14633/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The budgeted expenditure under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is being reduced to from €220 million to €190 million. In order to make the necessary savings it is proposed to make technical adjustments to the Scheme criteria to ensure that the aid payment is focused on farmers whose farming enterprises are situated exclusively in DAS areas and who are making a significant contribution to achieving the objectives of the Scheme, which are defined in the governing EU legislation as follows:

· To ensure continued agricultural land use and thereby contribute to the maintenance of a viable rural community;

· To maintain the countryside;

· To maintain and promote sustainable farming systems which, in particular, take account of environmental protection measures.

As the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is co-funded by the EU under the Rural Development Programme 2007/2013, it is necessary to obtain the agreement of the EU Commission to any proposed changes; my officials have been involved in ongoing discussions with Commission officials in this regard and a decision is awaited. It should be noted that the proposed criteria may be subject to some changes following the conclusion of the discussions with the EU Commission.

The proposals as submitted to the Commission include: Changes to minimum stocking density :

(1) applicants in 2012 would have to have met a minimum stocking density of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare in 2011. Where applicants do not meet this requirement, provision will be made for exceptional circumstances, including recognised Force Majeure. Provision will also be made for (a) those restricted by Environmental Plans and (b) new entrants.

(2) In 2012, the minimum retention period will be extended to six months, where the stocking density on the holding will have to be equal to or greater than 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare. In addition, the stocking density will be calculated over the twelve months of the year.

Differential Rate of Aid : With the intention of targeting those farmers who are farming exclusively in Disadvantaged Areas, it is proposed that farmers, whose holdings consists of land situated both in Disadvantaged Areas and non-Disadvantaged Areas are better positioned from a farming viewpoint than those farming exclusively in Disadvantaged Areas. Therefore, it is proposed that where some of an applicant's declared land, whose main holding is situated in a non-Disadvantaged Area, is non-Disadvantaged land, a digressive of aid under the Disadvantaged Area Scheme will be payable to such farmers. This proposal is regarded as fair in that the greater proportion of Less Favoured Areas land in the holding the greater the level of payment.

Exclusion of non-breeding equines : While it is proposed that equines will no longer be eligible for the stocking density calculation, it is intended that provision will be made for those involved in equine breeding enterprises. My officials are in ongoing consultation with the relevant representative bodies with a view to agreeing a suitable definition of an equine breeding enterprise.

Distance from main holding : It is proposed to exclude land situated more than 80 kilometres from a farmer's holding – this will apply only to those whose main holding is situated in a non-Disadvantaged Area and who declares DAS land more than 80 kilometres away.