asked the Minister for Agriculture when the claims will be processed for the extension of the disadvantaged areas scheme in County Cork which were submitted by the County Cork Committee of Agriculture.

20.

asked the Minister for Agriculture if the EEC disadvantaged areas scheme will be extended this coming year to include such areas as Tarelton, Macroom, Mountrivers, Rylane, Kilcorney and other areas of mid-Cork which have been excluded to date.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 20 together.

The County Cork Committee of Agriculture have been in communication with me on the question of extending the disadvantaged areas in that county. The views of the committee will be fully taken into account in the course of the review of the disadvantaged areas scheme which I announced recently. I have, therefore, invited the Cork County Committee of Agriculture to furnish to my Department details of the precise location and extent of the areas they wish to have considered, together with supporting material based on the criteria of the EEC directive. The carrying out of the necessary detailed analysis of basic statistical and other data will inevitably take some time to complete in full for all proposed new areas, including those in County Cork. When this has been done a case for any appropriate modifications or adjustments will have to be submitted to the EEC Commission and where a sustainable case is accepted by the Commission, the matter will have to go to the Council of Ministers for final decision.

When will a decision be made on the extension of those areas?

I cannot give an indication because submissions have been asked from the various bodies, farming organisations, county committees of agriculture and so forth, and when those have been submitted to the Department they will be transferred to the Council of Ministers and a decision will be arrived at.

Can we get assurance that a decision will be reached before next year's testing?

I cannot give any such assurance but I can assure the Deputy that there will not be any undue delay on my part.

Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there are thousands of farmers who are delighted that the Department have reversed the decision of the last Minister for Agriculture? Can he say when the closing date will be for the submission of applications? That would help members of county committees to make their case.

I am aware of the anxiety expressed by thousands of farmers in the past few years in relation to this scheme. I hope they are thankful for any improvement in the scheme. A closing date has not been fixed so far.

21.