Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent)
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29. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will outline the process of the reassessment of areas covered by the areas of natural constraint scheme; the details of the new biophysical criteria; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26130/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There is an ongoing review at EU level of the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme (DAS) – this Scheme, to be known as Areas of Natural Constraint, is to be delineated by Member States using soil and climatic criteria, as proposed by the Commission, as follows:

- Climate, including Low Temperature and Heat Stress;

- Soil, including Drainage, Texture & Stoniness, Rooting Depth and Chemical Properties;

- Soil & Climate, including Soil Moisture Balance;

- Terrain, including Slope.

An area (administrative unit) would be delineated as an Area of Natural Constraint, when it meets the proposed threshold set for one of the above criteria only. The Commission are suggesting the delineation be carried out a LAU2 level – District Electoral Division (DED) in Ireland’s case. To qualify under the new system, an area will need to show that at least two-thirds of its utilised agricultural land meets at least one of these criteria.

The resultant Areas of Natural Constraint would be subject to a fine-tuning process. These so called Second Stage Criteria are designed to remove areas which, although they meet the biophysical criteria, are deemed to have overcome the natural disadvantage and, therefore, should not benefit under the Scheme. The Second Stage Criteria would not apply to the criteria Low Temperatures, Heat Stress and Slope. The suggested ones for the other criteria are as follows:

- Soil Moisture Balance: Fine tune using % of area that is covered by fixed irrigation.

- Drainage: Take account of the artificial drainage, which can in effect move soils from one class to another.

- Texture and Stoniness, Rooting depth and Soil Chemical properties: Fine tune using production related indicators.

Commencement of the process must firstly await finalisation of the Teagasc innovative Irish Soil Information System (ISIS), which is designed to complete the national soil survey and which is scheduled for completion later this year. On completion of ISIS the necessary comprehensive delineation may initially commence to see which land is included and excluded as Areas of Natural Handicap. Under the CAP Reform agreement, Member States have until 2018 to introduce a new regime.