Where it is determined that a participant in REPS has incurred a penalty as a result of a deficient agri-environmental plan or a planner error, my Department may impose appropriate sanctions on the planner but the penalty on the participant cannot be waived. However, the participant has a right of appeal to the national REPS appeals committee. It is open to the appeals committee to decide to reduce or waive penalties and it is open to the committee to take planner errors into account in its deliberations.
The functions of the national REPS appeals committee will pass to the appeals office when it is established.