Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will give any consideration to introducing another band in the disadvantaged area payment in view of the fact that some areas in the west and north west are particularly disadvantaged and farmers face severe difficulties in making their farming activities provide an adequate income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44746/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Faced with the need to make budgetary savings for the current financial year and, mindful of the difficulties faced by those most dependent on the support which the Scheme provides, I chose to make technical adjustments to the Scheme terms and conditions, designed to better focus the aid on those contributing most to achieving the aims of the Scheme i.e. those actively farming in the more disadvantaged parts of the country.

The Deputy will be aware that there is an ongoing, EU wide Review of the Scheme also under way, the intention being to introduce an aid scheme based on bio-physical criteria (based on impact of heat, cold, drought, excess moisture, slope and poor quality soils), rather than the current socio-economic criteria. My Department is participating fully in these negotiations; the intention being that whatever new regime replaces the existing Scheme will accurately reflect the physical constraints faced by Irish farmers in certain parts of the country. The Disadvantaged Areas Scheme is a EU/Exchequer co-funded scheme, which forms part of 2007 to 2013 Rural Development Programme and, as such, any changes to the rules governing the Scheme require Commission approval.