James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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1044. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the need to assign disadvantaged status to lands owned by a person (details supplied) in County Wexford will be examined in view of the fact the land is poor and unsuitable for intensive farming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14969/18]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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In line with requirements under EU regulation, land to be deemed as eligible under the Areas of Natural Constraint (ANC) Scheme is being reviewed and designated using a set list of bio-physical criteria such as soil drainage, texture and slope.  

My Department has commenced work on this project, and relevant technical experts are currently working on analysing the data in relation to the new criteria. Once this process is complete, the data will provide the basis for the identification of eligible areas in the ANC Scheme from 2019 onwards.

In order to progress this work, my Department is in on-going communication with the EU Commission in relation to the accepted parameters and technical aspects of this project. Any change to the ANC scheme on foot of this process will require formal agreement with the EU Commission via an amendment of Ireland's Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020.