Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 343: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there is a split holding rule in disadvantaged area schemes similar to the split holding rule in rural environment protection scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22976/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I can confirm that the same provisions govern my Department's assessment of whether applicants under the Single Payment Scheme, the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, and Agri-Environment Schemes such as REPS and AEOS are operating separate holdings.

The factors that are taken into account when examining whether an applicant under one or more of the above-mentioned Schemes is operating a separate holding and, therefore, entitled to aid if all of the other scheme criteria are met include the following;

· separate herd numbers;

· herds maintained separately;

· herds handled separately in separate handling facilities;

· separate Area Aid declarations;

· separate Agri-Environment Scheme applications, where applicable;

· stock-proofed boundaries;

· independent access to holdings;

· separate farm accounts/financial records/other documentary evidence;

· ration and silage stored and fed in separate farm yard facilities;

· any other relevant issue.

In addition, specific changes have been made to the Terms and Conditions of the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme, including the introduction of a Differential Rate of Aid, to apply where an applicant's main holding/residence is situated in a non-DAS area and where some of that applicant's declared land is non-disadvantaged land, a digressive rate of aid will be payable, on the ratio of non-disadvantaged/disadvantaged lands farmed. In addition, a restriction is being introduced in relation to the distance from the main holding, where the applicant's main holding/residence is situated in a non-DAS area, land situated mare than 80 kilometres from an applicant's main holding is not eligible under the 2012 Scheme.