Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
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399. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 567 of 6 July 2021, the reason the areas of natural constraint payment cannot be paid to farmers that plant land in designated areas of natural constraint; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47441/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Under the terms and conditions of the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme and the Areas of Specific Constraints (ASC) Scheme, land parcels must be maintained in such a condition as to ensure the land is suitable for grazing or cultivation.  Parcels, where it has been identified that the condition of the land is such that it would not be suitable for grazing or cultivation, will not be eligible to receive grant aid under the ANC/ASC schemes.

As parcels such as forestry would not be suitable for grazing or cultivation, they are therefore not eligible to receive grant aid under the ANC/ASC Schemes.

The 2021 ANC terms and conditions (page 13) gives a  list of types of land considered ineligible for payment under the scheme as follows;

- Areas under roads, paths, buildings, farmyards, woods, scrub, rivers, streams, ponds, lakes, sand, areas of bare rock etc.

- Any land, irrespective of eligibility status on which no farming activity is carried out is not eligible for payment.