Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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1420. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason the island rate of areas of natural constraint, ANC, scheme payment is not paid to farmers farming islands on inland lakes in view of the extra cost involved in farming such land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1086/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme replaced the previous Less Favoured Areas Scheme in Ireland's Rural Development Programme, 2014-2020. One of the provisions in the Rural Development Regulation relating to the new ANC Scheme is that it is open to Member States to make certain areas eligible for payment under the Scheme if they are affected by a specific constraint and if it is necessary for land management to be continued in order to conserve or improve the environment, to maintain the countryside, to preserve the tourist potential of the area, or to protect the coastline. Such areas are referred to as "areas of specific constraint", and the RDP set out the case for the inclusion of the off shore islands in the scheme on the basis of links to all these requirements.

Separately, a review of designation of eligible areas under the ANC scheme is underway. This review is required by regulation to be in place for payment in 2018.