19 Mr. Sheehan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when a final decision will be made by the EU on Ireland's application for the extension of the disadvantaged areas.

53 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will be seeking additional support from the European Union for the inclusion of more lands under the less favoured directives in the context of the operational programme on agriculture which he is presently drawing up.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 53 together.

The Government's submission on the extension of the disadvantaged areas was made to the European Commission in November 1993. The Commission is currently engaged in a technical examination of the submission. It is not possible to be precise as to when this examination will be concluded. In discussions with the Commission, I have urged that the examination be completed as soon as possible.

If the Commission accepts the submission, a detailed proposal will be made to the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers where a final decision will be taken after consultation with the European Parliament. At that time details of the outcome will be made available.

I assure the Deputies that following a positive decision by the EU on the proposals for the extension and reclassification of disadvantaged areas, the Government is fully committed to its implementation.

I am very annoyed at the Minister's reply since it is now over two years since he told a packed hall in his constituency in Dunmanway that the result of our application would be made available within 12 months. Surely the Minister agrees that the processing of this application has been anything but successful as far as farmers are concerned, that it is cold comfort to the thousands of farmers in limbo because they do not know whether they are included in the extended disadvantaged areas scheme? Will the Minister do his best to expedite a decision on this very important matter, one of life and death for some people awaiting inclusion in the disadvantaged areas scheme?

I will bring Deputy Sheehan's forceful intervention on this matter to the attention of the Commissioner at our next meeting.

Is the Minister aware that in April 1992 the Minister of State, Deputy Hyland, became extremely vexed when I said there was no possibility that anyone would get any extra money from the review of the disadvantaged areas before the middle of 1994?

I have never been vexed with the Deputy.

Will the Minister agree that even then I was being impossibly optimistic and that nothing is likely to happen before the middle of next year at the earliest?

Reviews, by their nature, take a considerable length of time but I am pressing the Commissioner to expedite a decision in this matter.

That concludes Questions for today.