Vol. 468 No. 4
887 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will review the case of a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath who urgently requires payment of an amount due to him under the rural environmental protection scheme. [15819/96]
Under revised monitoring and control procedures implemented by my Department recently, compliance checks are required to ensure that farmers have completed the specific works outlined during the first year of the plan before second year payments can be made. A compliance check will be carried out on the applicant's farm shortly and if terms and conditions are met payment will issue as soon as possible thereafter.
888 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the plans, if any, he has to introduce an appeals mechanism for farmers who have incurred penalties following REP scheme compliance checks. [15885/96]
Where a farmer in REPS is found, on inspection, not to have complied with undertakings given as part of a REPS plan then a penalty is applied. My Department has put an appeals mechanism in place whereby farmers incurring a penalty may appeal the decision.
889 Mr. Killeen asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the percentage of REP scheme applicants who have incurred penalties following compliance tests; and the range of such penalties. [15886/96]
Under the REP scheme the penalties applied for non compliance range from 5 per cent to 100 per cent. The average penalty imposed so far is 20 per cent. Approximately 25 per cent of participants who have been approved for second year payments have had penalties imposed. However, this figure is based on a small sample of payments already made due to the industrial dispute in the Department's local offices.
