Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the new top-up for islands under the disadvantaged areas scheme or areas of natural constraint scheme will commence; if it will apply to intertidal islands and islands connected to the mainland by a causeway or bridge; if it will apply to lake islands as well as islands in the sea; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30517/14]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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In developing the final draft of the new Rural Development Programme 2014 – 2020, which has been submitted to the EU Commission, I was very conscious of the challenges facing farmers farming lands situated on the islands. In particular, I am fully aware of the additional costs incurred in farming island lands. Mindful of this, I have decided to target specific support for island farmers via a new top-up to be introduced under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme. This additional payment will commence in 2015 with the introduction of the ANC Scheme, which is currently known as the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. The proposed top-up rates are €150 per forage hectare where a farmer is an island resident and €75 per forage hectare where a farmer is not resident on an island and is actively farming the island lands.

My Department is currently in the process of identifying and investigating all islands situated both offshore and inland on lakes and rivers, and determining the eligibility of each. Following initial analysis, it has been considered that islands connected to the main land by permanent access route will not incur the same costs as farmers living and farming on the islands and therefore will not be eligible. These proposals have been submitted to the Commission earlier this week as part of the overall Rural Development Programme, with approval anticipated later this year.