Theresa Ahearn
Question:42 Mrs. T. Ahearn asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry when he intends to announce the detailed guidelines for the rural environment protection scheme, REPS; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.
Liz McManus
Question:65 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the main provisions of the rural environmental protection scheme recently approved by the EU; the total finance available for the scheme; the total number of farms likely to be covered; if it will be a condition of the scheme that those who receive financial assistance will be required to maintain traditional rights of access and rights of way; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Trevor Sargent
Question:214 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if he will provide details of the REPS scheme including a copy of the application to the EU with particular regard to the extra premium for organic and rare breeds.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 42, 65 and 214 together.
I announced on 27 January that the Government had formally approved an Agri-Environment Programme for Ireland, to be known as the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS). On the same day it was also announced that in Brussels the Committee on Agricultural Structures and Rural Development had agreed to our proposals under the programme. It is expected that expenditure under REPS will amount to £230 million up to 1997 with further expenditure after that and that some 40,000 farmers will avail of the scheme.
The scheme will be implemented when formal approval of the European Commission has been obtained. This will take approximately two months leading to the implementation of the scheme in April. Detailed guidelines and application forms will be available at that stage.
As the detailed submission made by my Department to the European Commission is confidential I am not in a position to make it available to Deputies. The general details of the draft scheme will be circulated with the official report. The extra premium for (i) organic farming will be up to 150 ECU (£146) per hectare for land in conversion and 75 ECU (£73) per hectare thereafter and (ii) for rare breeds 100 ECU (£98) per livestock unit.
The conditions for the scheme, including the question of existing legal obligations on farmers such as rights of access and rights of way, are being examined by my officials at present.