Vol. 468 No. 4
892 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the names of the two planners whom he has suspended from his Department's list of approved REP scheme planners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16108/96]
It is not the policy of my Department to disclose such information.
893 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the numbers of farmers affected in each of the two cases in which he suspended planners from the approved departmental list in relation to the REP scheme. [16109/96]
The number of REPS plans submitted to my Department by the REPS planners who have been suspended is 402.
894 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry in view of the fact that farmers must use planners on the list approved by him in relation to the REP scheme, the plans, if any, the has to ensure that all approved planners are bonded to ensure that farmers can be protected against negligence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16110/96]
Under the REP scheme, planners are approved provided they hold the relevant qualifications required to draw up REPS plans and following participation in an intensive one day information seminar given by the Department. Planners have been advised by my Department to take out insurance to cover against possible claims for negligence. This is not, however, compulsory as it has been regarded as a matter between the farmer and the individual planner concerned. I am, however, prepared to have the matter re-examined.
895 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of farmers, by county, who have received second payment under the REP scheme; the reason the statement made by the Minister of State at his Department on 22 May 1996, promising second payments within six weeks, has not been adhered to; if he will give a definite schedule for payments under the REP scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16111/96]
The number of farmers who had completed their first year in REPS on 30 June 1996 and are due second payments is 4,131. The number of farmers approved for second year payments is 215. A breakdown by county of payments made is set out in the following table. Following the implementation of more stringent control measures and the revision to the REPS specifications, arrangements have been put in train to deal with the backlog as follows.
Lists of those participants who joined the scheme in 1994 were issued to the Department's local offices on 14 May 1996 to facilitate farmer compliance checks. A total of 309 participants were involved of which up to now 250 have had compliance checks completed. Industrial action in the Department's local offices contributed to the delays in carrying out compliance checks. The dispute has now been resolved allowing compliance checks to be carried out for the 1,512 participants who were due second year payments up to 31 March 1996. It is intended to commence checks on other participants who are now due second year payments by the end of the month.
2nd Stage REPS Payments by County
|
County |
Number |
Total Paid |
|
£ |
||
|
Carlow |
13 |
36,045.27 |
|
Clare |
1 |
7,811.41 |
|
Cork |
6 |
23,735.56 |
|
Donegal |
4 |
17,233.90 |
|
Dublin |
3 |
7,897.13 |
|
Galway |
9 |
34,235.57 |
|
Kerry |
5 |
21,026.11 |
|
Kildare |
13 |
45,736.87 |
|
Kilkenny |
17 |
57,065.15 |
|
Longford |
5 |
18,865.72 |
|
Louth |
1 |
5,448.46 |
|
Mayo |
13 |
53,629.70 |
|
Meath |
2 |
6,722.08 |
|
Offaly |
14 |
48,110.06 |
|
Tipperary |
39 |
140,748.15 |
|
Waterford |
19 |
71,213.44 |
|
Westmeath |
18 |
52,121.25 |
|
Wexford |
26 |
92,291.59 |
|
Wicklow |
7 |
24,115.29 |
|
Total |
215 |
764,052.71 |
896 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of farmers, by county, who have been checked for compliance under the REP scheme; the number of staff, by county, who are available for this purpose; the number of inspections that are being carried out per day by the staff involved in inspections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16112/96]
To date 250 REPS participants have had compliance checks carried out, of which 215 have been processed for payment. A breakdown, by county, of these payments is set out in reply to Question No 895. A breakdown by county of compliance checks is not available. The number of inspectors available to carry out compliance checks is 179. A breakdown of these is set out in the following table. These inspectors also carry out inspections on other schemes administered by my Department including the farm improvement programme and the control of farm pollution scheme. Due to the diverse nature of the inspection work and in the absence of an automated payment system it is not possible to give details of the number of inspections carried out by the inspectorate. The introduction of an automated payment system later this year will enable such information to be provided.
|
County |
No of Inspectors |
|
Carlow |
3 |
|
Cavan |
7 |
|
Clare |
9 |
|
Cork |
17 |
|
Donegal |
10 |
|
Dublin/Kildare |
4 |
|
Galway |
18 |
|
Kerry |
16 |
|
Kilkenny |
3 |
|
Laois |
1 |
|
Leitrim |
5 |
|
Limerick |
4 |
|
Longford |
4 |
|
Louth |
5 |
|
Mayo |
20 |
|
Meath |
5 |
|
Monaghan |
5 |
|
Offaly |
4 |
|
Roscommon |
9 |
|
Sligo |
6 |
|
Tipperary |
8 |
|
Waterford |
5 |
|
Westmeath |
4 |
|
Wexford |
5 |
|
Wicklow |
2 |
|
Total |
179 |
897 Mr. H. Byrne asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the number of farmers in the REP scheme and, in tabular form, by county, the numbers paid under year one and year two; if he will also give this information in relation to the sub-programmes of the REP scheme, such as organic farming; the total moneys paid to date under the REP scheme in each of the years the programme has been operational; the amount of this money from the national Exchequer in each year; the amount provided for in the Estimates for 1996 in relation to the REP scheme; the amount of such funding from EU money and national money; the number of payments that this funding will meet; the number of new entrants to the scheme thus far in 1996; the projected expenditure under the scheme for the remainder of its terms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16113/96]
The number of farmers, by county, approved under the REP scheme for first and second year payments is set out in the following tables. The information requested in relation to sub programmes of the REP scheme is not available at present. The total amount paid to date under the REP scheme is as follows: 1994, £1.3 million; 1995, £29.5 million; 1996 (to date), £24.75 million.
|
County |
First Stage Payments |
Second Stage Payments |
||
|
No. Paid |
Amount |
No. Paid |
Amount |
|
|
£ |
£ |
|||
|
Carlow |
221 |
828,469.26 |
13 |
36,045.27 |
|
Cavan |
748 |
2,190,449.20 |
— |
— |
|
Clare |
830 |
3,211,138.46 |
1 |
7,811.41 |
|
Cork |
1,122 |
4,208,905.60 |
6 |
23,735.56 |
|
Donegal |
722 |
2,899,362.79 |
4 |
17,233.90 |
|
Dublin |
101 |
317,459.78 |
3 |
7,897.13 |
|
Galway |
2,088 |
7,037,448.82 |
9 |
31,235.57 |
|
Kerry |
722 |
2,904,811.60 |
5 |
21,026.11 |
|
Kildare |
498 |
1,712,986.31 |
13 |
45,736.87 |
|
Kilkenny |
404 |
1,525,390.81 |
17 |
57,065.15 |
|
Laois |
558 |
2,056,431.61 |
— |
— |
|
Leitrim |
657 |
2,047,283.65 |
— |
— |
|
Limerick |
531 |
1,872,557.56 |
— |
— |
|
Longford |
583 |
1,951,371.85 |
5 |
18,865.72 |
|
Louth |
182 |
633,139.63 |
1 |
5,448.46 |
|
Mayo |
1,351 |
4,454,274.14 |
13 |
53,629.70 |
|
Meath |
641 |
2,140,952.09 |
2 |
6,722.09 |
|
Monaghan |
355 |
1,010,494.43 |
— |
— |
|
Offaly |
571 |
2,152,161.13 |
14 |
47,621.84 |
|
Roscommon |
857 |
2,892,527.31 |
— |
— |
|
Sligo |
378 |
1,264,664.83 |
— |
— |
|
Tipperary |
1,117 |
4,272,533.30 |
39 |
135,565.49 |
|
Waterford |
307 |
1,140,500.73 |
19 |
71,213.44 |
|
Westmeath |
790 |
2,808,510.20 |
18 |
52,121.25 |
|
Wexford |
548 |
2,068,815.37 |
26 |
92,291.59 |
|
Wicklow |
214 |
786,573.57 |
7 |
24,115.29 |
|
Total |
17,096 |
60,389,214.04 |
215 |
755,381.83 |
