asked the Minister for Agriculture the up-to-date position in regard to proposals for the extension of the disadvantaged area boundaries.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Disadvantaged Area Boundaries Extension.
59.
The Government's proposals for a review of the disadvantaged areas were submitted to the EEC Commission in February 1979. Since then detailed discussions were held on a number of occasions between officials of my Department and officials of the Commission and a substantial volume of supplementary information was supplied at the latter's request. The matter has been pursued at Council level in the context of the Commission's proposals on policy with regard to agriculture structures. It is hoped that the Government's proposals will be accepted by the Commission and the Council in the near future.
Would the Minister not accept that 15 months is an appalling delay in making any progress in this area?
I accept that there is a delay. I do not accept that the Government here are responsible in any way for that delay. They gave an undertaking in the election manifesto of 1977 that they would undertake a review of the disadvantaged areas. They did that. The proposals are submitted to Brussels, as I have said. Detailed discussions have taken place between the Commission and officials of my Department and the matter is being discussed at present in the context of the overall agricultural structures. I am hopeful that an early decision will be taken.
Does the Minister not accept that this delay on top of the earlier delay in actually submitting the proposals, which will take another 15 months, means that two-and-a-half years have been wasted purely in making no progress?
I do not think it is true to say that those two-and-a-half years were wasted. I accept there were delays but they were not the fault of our Government. We have undertaken to carry out the review and, hopefully, the submissions we have made to the Commission will be acceptable.
I should like the Minister to give the House an assurance that every effort will be made to ensure that there will be some result on this application in the very near future, perhaps within a number of weeks.
I can give an assurance that the interests of the disadvantaged areas is one of the top priorities of the Minister for Agriculture. He will do his part to ensure that the package submitted to Brussels will be got through in the shortest time possible.
Is the Minister of State aware this same answer has been given for the past two years? In fact, at a meeting of the County Committee of Agriculture in Cork the Minister gave a firm commitment that there would be a result in November. We are now into another year and yet the Minister has come up with the same answer.
I did not give a firm commitment at Cork.
Not alone that, but Fianna Fáil Deputies gave an assurance with regard to this matter before the last election and they said it was only a matter of time before the issue would be settled.
(Interruptions.)
Questions Nos. 60 and 61 for written reply.