The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney TD, today announced an extension to the closing date for receipt of derogation applications under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme.

"I am conscious that for some of those intending to apply for a derogation under the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme that the closing date of 24 August is posing some difficulties and, therefore, I have decided to extend the closing date by one week, to Friday, 31 August 2012," the Minister said.

One of the changes to the Terms and Conditions governing the 2012 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme requires that applicants have achieved a minimum stocking density during 2011 of 0.3 livestock units per forage hectare. On foot of the commitment given by Minister Coveney that everyone who failed to achieve this minimum would be afforded the opportunity to apply for a derogation, approximately 10,000 Scheme beneficiaries from 2011 have been written to and afforded the opportunity to apply, under specific categories.

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The deadline for receipt of applications was fixed as 24 August - this was designed to allow adequate time to consider each of the applications, mindful that each of the derogation applications needs to be individually examined and assessed. "While I am pleased to see that the response to date has been very positive, with large numbers of applications already received, I am also conscious that the time-frame is causing difficulties for some farmers who wish to apply," the Minister said.

(CD)