Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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508. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when the final areas on natural constraint, ANC, map will be produced; the average income of farmers in the previous ANC zone in counties Meath and Westmeath; and if all areas in the pre-existing ANC zones in counties Meath and Westmeath will be kept in the new ANC zone. [23060/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the 2016 Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme there were 1,240 and 2,619 beneficiaries in Counties Meath and Westmeath respectively with payments to the value of €2,214,486 and €4,778,729 issuing. In Meath this represents an average ANC payment of €1,785, with an average payment of €1,824 in Westmeath.

Under the Rural Development Regulation each Member State must designate areas eligible for payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme. The ANC scheme replaces the previous Disadvantaged Areas Scheme/Less Favoured Areas Scheme. The designation of eligible areas under these schemes to date has been based on a range of socio-economic factors. From 2018 eligible areas must instead be designated using a set list of bio-physical criteria. In cases where a Member State does not introduce this new system for payment, the old scheme remains in place but payments must phase out on a digressive basis.

The biophysical criteria set out in the legislation to underpin the new system of designation are:

- Low temperature

- Dryness

- Excess soil moisture

- Limited soil drainage

- Unfavourable texture and stoniness

- Shallow rooting depth

- Poor chemical properties

- Steep slope.

My Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on sourcing and analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Department officials have also been in contact with the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and DG Agri in the EU Commission in relation to technical issues arising. This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process. It is envisaged that stakeholders will be consulted as this process develops.