Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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497. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has given consideration to reinstating the ANC payment to 2008 levels to better support farmers that work in the most difficult conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42278/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Under the EU Rural Development Regulation each Member State may designate areas eligible for payments under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) scheme.  In 2015 the ANC scheme replaced the Disadvantages Areas Scheme (DAS).  Current payments are based on a range of socio-economic factors and are made on three separate land designations.

The Rural Development Regulation also sets out that, in future, all eligible disadvantaged areas must be designated using a set list of bio-physical criteria such as soil moisture, soil drainage, soil texture, 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.  This analysis will identify areas deemed to be facing natural constraints, which will in parallel be subjected to a refinement process.  The timing for the introduction of this new designation is dependent on the outcome of current discussions at EU level in relation to the 'Omnibus Proposal.'

The Programme for a Partnership Government includes a commitment to increase the budget for the Scheme by €25m in Budget 2018.  This commitment will be considered via the annual budgetary process and my Department is committed to ensuring that all available funds under the scheme are targeted in the most effective manner.