Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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915. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if in considering applications for the disadvantaged area scheme for 2013, his Department take into account the restrictions imposed by the commonage framework plans, limiting the amount of stock farmers can keep on commonage; if not, the reason these plans have not yet been replaced in view of ongoing consideration of issues relating to commonages by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46554/13]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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916. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if in considering disadvantaged area scheme applications for 2013, the restrictions of commonage framework plans over-ride those of the agri-environment option scheme plans in view of the fact that the restrictions in some AEOS are based on proposed new restrictions on commonages not yet introduced formally by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46556/13]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 915 and 916 together.

The Terms and Conditions governing the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme require that applicants’ holdings achieve both a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare for a minimum of seven consecutive months, in addition to achieving an annual average stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per forage hectare over the twelve calendar months of the Scheme. Provision is made whereby lower stocking densities imposed on farmers under recognised environmental schemes are accepted, in addition to which individual cases are also considered on their merits.