Vol. 536 No. 2
207 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will allow a REP scheme payment to a person, details supplied, in County Mayo who was not told that the lease requirement had been increased from five years to six years. [13512/01]
Council Regulation, EC, No. 2603-1999 laid down transitional rules for the period between the end of the first rural environmental protection scheme and the introduction of the second one. My Department informed all REPS planning agencies, by way of a circular issued on 9 March 2000, of details relating to the processing of applications under these transitional rules.
The circular to planning agencies gave specific examples of applications involving leased land and said that for leased land to be eligible for payment, the lease must have an unexpired time of at least six years from the anniversary date.
In the case of the person named, an amended plan prepared by her REPS planner was received on 31 July 2000 and additional necessary documentation was received on 2 October 2000. Her anniversary date was 1 August 2000. The leases involved in this application expire on 28 February 2006 and thus they do not have an unexpired time of at least six years from her anniversary date. As had been made clear in my Department's circular of 9 March 2000 to REPS planning agencies, the leased land was therefore ineligible for payment.
208 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the reason that persons who have qualified for the REP scheme but who have had to renew their leases were not told that the lease period has been increased from five years to six years. [13513/01]
Council Regulation, EC, No. 2603-1999 laid down transitional rules for the period between the end of the first rural environmental protection scheme and the introduction of the second one. My Department informed all REPS planning agencies, by way of a circular issued on 9 March 2000, of details relat ing to the processing of applications under these transitional rules.
The circular to planning agencies gave specific examples of applications involving leased land and said that for leased land to be eligible for payment, the lease must have an unexpired time of at least six years from the anniversary date.
