The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney, TD, today announced that payments for island farmers under the new Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme have started issuing, on schedule, today. “I am particularly pleased to see that these payments, worth some €1 million, are issuing on target, particularly given the significance of these payments to individual island farmers ”, the Minister said. Minister Coveney had announced the designation of off-shore islands in May 2015 as Areas of Specific Constraint under the new Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) Scheme, which replaced the Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. The Scheme is co-funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).

The Minister said “I am delighted that these payments have commenced to issue given the challenges island farmers face on a daily basis, particularly, in view of the difficult weather conditions they have encountered during recent months. Island farming is difficult in the best of years and the objectives of this aid is to maintain agricultural production in these areas; to provide a boost to the economic activity on the islands and to deliver environmental benefits such as the preservation of their unique habitats”

The Minister confirmed that payments will continue to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible for payment in the coming weeks.

Notes for editors

The island payment will be payable on land situated on off-shore islands (i.e. where no permanent access by road or bridge exists) where an agricultural activity is being carried out by the applicant.  Some 900 island farmers will benefit under this measure.

View Press Release as a PDF:  DAFMPR 173/2015 (pdf 465Kb) 

Date Released: 30 September 2015