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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 31 Mar 2010

Vol. 706 No. 1

Adjournment Debate.

Firearms Certificates.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle's office for allowing me raise this matter, namely, the unsatisfactory operation of the requirements for the issue of firearms certificates under the recently amended legislation which has resulted in widespread confusion, uncertainty, dissatisfaction and the need for a review.

A number of specific issues require attention. I refer in the first instance to section 3D of the Firearms Act 1925, as inserted by the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009, which specifically refers to the short firearm for which applicants are making their application for review; this application can be accepted once the person has held the firearm on or before 19 November 2008. This is being interpreted by Garda superintendents in a way that is giving rise to an element of uncertainty. It is up to many applicants to proceed to court in a way that, to my mind, was not envisaged and which is unfair.

I make the case that the new firearms legislation is flawed because it fails to include the statutory requirement for superintendents to provide a licence to hunt. There have been complaints from many firearms owners about the new application form which is nine pages long. Many applicants require assistance with this, which on occasion is not forthcoming.

The hunting endorsement on the firearms licence must be legally valid. The licence-holder must make a declaration under section 29 of the Wildlife Act 1976, as amended. Without this, new licences may be rendered invalid. There is no reference to this declaration or to this section on the revised form issued from the Garda Síochána, having been approved by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Garda Síochána is, by and large, co-operative but the process is giving rise to much uncertainty. There is a perception, supported by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, that legally held firearms are inextricably linked to criminal activity and organised crime when Government representatives speak of a proliferation of guns and a gun culture. This is without foundation, in my view. I ask that evidence be provided by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, as to abuse of firearms licences and to provide evidence where sportsmen, many of whom have engaged in what was regarded as a lawful sporting pursuit and activity, are involved in criminal activity and organised crime. We need to have this matter addressed. The new application is flawed on the basis that, unlike the old form, it does not comply with section 29(1) of the Wildlife Act. I ask the Minister to advise the House on the discussions that took place between the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on the redrafting of the form. I ask that the guidelines issued to superintendents be published and made available to applicants. I would regard it as a breach of natural justice if they are not made available because it would result in a most unsatisfactory and opaque situation whereby people are asked to comply with guidelines which have not been published.

Long-standing firearms licence holders are being required to produce references in a way that is unduly harsh and unfair. The system is a shambles. Many applicants are being forced to the courts and the District Court is being flooded by appeals against refusals by chief superintendents to grant firearms licences.

I urge the Government to accept the seriousness of the problem, undertake a review in order to ensure those applicants who have held firearms certificates for many years can continue to pursue their sporting activity within the law and deal with the gross mistake of refusing to make reference to the appropriate declaration under the Wildlife Acts, which in my view puts every hunter in the country in breach of the law.

I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

As Deputy Charles Flanagan will appreciate, that Department is at present in the course of a major transformation of the firearms licensing system. It has brought into operation long overdue changes, such as the requirement for referees, provision for background medical checks and standards for the safe keeping of guns in the home for all firearms licence applicants. At the same time, it has given effect to the major policy changes which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform announced in November 2008, particularly in regard to a handgun ban. The Minister does not pretend that a such major transformation can take place without glitches but he would caution against people characterising the system as being in difficulty when in reality they simply do not accept the decisions which have been made on their applications.

The changes required enormous work and effort behind the scenes both on the legislative side and from the point of view of information technology design and infrastructure, outsourcing of fee collection and production and publication of guidelines. The Department is in effect moving from a regime designed in 1925 to a 2009 licensing system which reflects modern conditions. The new three year licence with outsourced fee collection and licence production will result in a better service to the public and substantial administrative savings to the Garda Síochána. The objective is a careful consideration of each firearms licensing application in accordance with the law.

The Garda Commissioner has produced substantial guidelines to facilitate applicants and these are available on the Garda website along with the application forms and a host of other useful information for licensed firearms owners. The firearms policy unit in Garda headquarters, which was established by the Commissioner in 2008, has done excellent work in ensuring that advice and guidance are available to gardaí on the ground as well as to the shooting associations.

The logistics of moving from one to three year certificates were complicated and to make the changeover work the Commissioner extended existing certificates without charge by between one and ten months. The longest of the extended one year firearm certificates are due to expire on 30 June 2010. The Garda authorities recently ran an advertisement in the national newspapers highlighting the fact all firearms owners who have not yet done so should apply for the new three year certificate if they wish to retain their firearm. The Minister understands that some people who had old guns lying around for years and licensed them annually because it was the easiest thing to do may now be inclined to scrap their firearms rather than meet the requirements of the new more stringent system. Some of these firearms were in such poor condition that they would have been unsafe to fire and it is no bad thing to send them for scrappage. The Minister is not exaggerating when he says that some of the old guns handed in for disposal were held together more by duct tape than by wood and metal.

Due to this response and the restrictions which the Minister has introduced, we can expect to see a drop in the overall number of licensed firearms in the country. Garda statistics show that almost 100,000 applications are on the system, 81,000 certificates have already been granted and the number of refusals stands at approximately 550. A number of appeals are being pursued in the District Court, as provided for by section 15A of the Firearms Act 1925, but I do not propose to comment in detail on these other than to say they represent a small percentage of the overall number of applications for the new three year licence. Some appeals have been successful but others have not. Our law provides for such an appeal system and it would be disingenuous to characterise a variety of judicial decisions as confusing.

The transition phase will be completed in three months time, at which point we will have a better and safer system in which both firearm owners and members of the Garda Síochána are free from the frenzied renewal of certificates every August. Every licensed firearm will be required to be securely stored when not in use. Firearms holders need only to renew every three years and can pay for their certificates at post offices, over the telephone or via the Internet. The system will have much greater transparency and the process for obtaining or renewing a firearms certificate will be clear to prospective applicants.

The Minister took on board the Deputy's suggestion that the legislation should include a provision that the Garda Commissioner submit an annual review of the operation of the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2009 and the Minister shall lay a copy of it before the Oireachtas. It makes sense that we would wait a few months for the completion of the transition phase before taking the opportunity to review the process in the autumn.

Head Shops.

I congratulate the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Carey, who in another life as a Minister of State had responsibility for drugs. There is great delight that he has been given this remit once again. I met him in Granard last Thursday, when he had a conversation with a woman from Athlone who is heavily involved in this issue.

Although head shops are a recent phenomenon, I am sure they are in every constituency in the country. In the midlands, they have sprouted up in Athlone, Mullingar and Roscommon over the past 12 months and now assume a prominent position in the lives of these towns. They are given silly names like "Phantasia" or "Health Store" to persuade people into thinking they are good shops offering healthy wares. However, they are full of what I can only describe as lethal drugs. These products are supposedly made from plants and all things wonderful in nature. I do not know what they are made from but their application is potentially injurious to young people. Despite their dangers, crowds swirl around these head shops day and night to buy whatever it is they sell. These customers are fooling themselves and their parents into believing they are buying wonderful new palliatives which will bring them deep sleep or success in examinations. However, these products are lethal.

Two weeks ago, more than 400 people attended a meeting in Athlone to discuss head shops. They are not prepared to wait three months for Europe to issue a directive and another ten months for it to enter Irish law. They want to know whether the Government can act now to bring criminal charges against those who peddle these wares. Can the Government take any action now which would bring about criminal charges on those who peddle these wares? These products are drugs. They are pure drugs from a particular source and are harmful, especially to young people. One particularly harmful product is called bath salts. One may believe one would use them to have a bath or something but one inhales them and then one becomes flaked out. I listened to people who told the stories of their young folk and teenagers. I was deeply dismayed to hear what young people are going through and what is being peddled to them from shops with titles such as "Health Store".

The Minister could make a name for himself in his new job were he to strike at these headshops, within the law, and bring comfort, especially to parents who are very concerned about their young people because of the effects these drugs are having. I hope the Minister will not refer to a proposal of three months or six months duration because these are spreading from town to town like a disease or a plague. There is a proliferation of these shops and there are crowds of young people who believe their day is not complete if they have not visited a headshop and purchased some of these very potent materials.

I thank Deputy O'Rourke for raising this issue and for her good wishes. The Deputy's assertion is correct. When I was in this Department in 2007 and 2008, head shops were beginning to be an issue at that time. There were 26 such shops known to be in operation, primarily in Dublin. I agree with Deputy O'Rourke and others who have raised the matter on the Order of Business and I understand the matter will be raised during Question Time tomorrow as well. There is no doubt these shops are a pernicious influence. I wish to outline the measures under way at the moment and those contemplated by the Government.

I assure Deputies that I am aware of the many concerns that have been expressed in recent times regarding the activities of head shops and the new psychoactive substances, represented as legal highs, which are being sold in these outlets. The number of these outlets has increased significantly in recent times and it is estimated that there are now in excess of 100 in operation in various parts of Ireland.

While working as Minister of State with responsibility for the national drugs strategy, my colleague, Deputy John Curran, voiced concerns which I share. As Deputy O'Rourke mentioned, there are potential health hazards arising from the use of these products and there is a possibility that their use may act as a gateway to the use of illicit drugs, which may be more important than the first point. The National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016 includes two actions aimed at addressing the issues involved. Action 14 calls for the monitoring of the activities of head shops and all businesses involved in the sale of psychoactive substances, with the objective of ensuring that no illegal activity is undertaken and for appropriate steps to be taken to reform legislation in this area where it is deemed to be appropriate. Action 15 recommends that drugs-related legislation be kept under continuous review, with a particular focus on new synthetic substances and new or changed uses of psychoactive substances, against the background of EU and broader international experience and best practice.

Against the background of these actions and as provided for under the drugs strategy, the Minister of State, Deputy John Curran, held several meetings with the Ministers for Health and Children, Justice, Equality and Law Reform and Education and Science in recent months. He also met with the Garda Commissioner and with senior officials of various Departments and offices. Head shops and the sale of legal highs were discussed at many of these meetings and various approaches to addressing the activities of these outlets were considered and are still under review.

Through the Misuse of Drugs Act, the primary legislation through which these substances can be regulated, the Department of Health and Children is currently finalising regulations to introduce controls on a range of substances. These regulations will make the possession and sale of these substances illegal and subject to criminal sanctions. I stress the term "criminal sanctions". In preparing the required regulations, that Department is consulting with the relevant authorities to ensure that any legitimate uses of the substances involved are not impinged upon. This is an issue especially in the manufacture of other products and veterinary medicine.

Meanwhile, the Government has approved the commencement of a required notification process to the EU and it is envisaged that the regulations controlling the various substances will come into effect in late June at the conclusion of the three month process involved. I assure the House the three month period will apply rather than a period of 13 months which Deputy O'Rourke suggested. Such notification is required under the relevant EU technical standards directives, because controls under the Misuse of Drugs Act involve a restriction on trade. For example, some of the products involved can be used in the manufacture of plastics and industrial solvents, and the European Medicines Agency reported in late January that one such product, mephedrone, has the potential to be used in the manufacture of some medicines. It is vital that all regulatory controls introduced meet all requirements and are fully robust to meet any legal challenges subsequently arising. The experience to date has been that as soon as one substance is banned, a single ingredient can be changed and then one must start almost all over again. We wish to try to anticipate that taking place again and avoid any possible striking down of either the legislation or regulations.

Meanwhile, the National Advisory Committee on Drugs has been asked to carry out some research in this area. In addition, the activities of head shops are being closely monitored on an ongoing basis by the Garda Síochána and Customs and Excise with a view to ensuring that no substances that are currently illegal are being sold. My Department has also been in contact with the Attorney General about a range of possible approaches to the matter and a number of issues arising in that context are being considered at senior level within an inter-departmental framework.

It is very important that we do everything possible to raise awareness about the negative effects of consuming psychoactive substances. In this regard the HSE, in association with its partners under the drugs strategy, is currently finalising a national drugs awareness campaign that will focus on psychoactive substances legally available through head shops. This campaign will be aimed primarily at 15 to 40 year olds, as well as at parents and service providers. The key message of the campaign will be that legal does not mean safe, and it will aim to raise awareness of the risks to mental and physical health associated with these substances.

National and local initiatives will be integrated under the campaign, with drugs task forces playing a key role in publicising the information in their respective communities. The upgraded www.drugs.ie website will also be promoted as a primary source of relevant and accurate information, along with the utilisation of existing HSE help and information lines. The HSE is also updating the Facts about Drugs booklet and its parent information guide to include information on psychoactive substances. An information booklet for service providers will be available in conjunction with the launch of the campaign in the coming weeks.

We are all aware of the harm caused by drug misuse to individuals, their families and their communities. This harm manifests itself in many ways, through negative health, socio-economic impacts and crime, such as the intimidation and violence often orchestrated and perpetrated by those supplying drugs in our communities. Head shops and legal highs might be regarded as a relatively new aspect of the ever-evolving issue of substance misuse in our society but I am determined to tackle the problem and to pursue all viable approaches to counter the potential threats.

I note with interest the media reports today that the owners of these shops have discussed drawing up a code of conduct for the shops. They are perfectly entitled to pursue this course of action but I can assure those same owners that the Government will be working without delay to ensure that the substances, which are of such concern to communities throughout the country, are no longer freely available and, where possible, are removed from circulation for good. Self-regulation was attempted in 2007 and 2008. It was not accepted by the Government then and I have no intention of accepting it now either. I assure Deputy O'Rourke that the issue of head shops and new psychoactive substances is of serious concern to the Government and that I will continue to work with my ministerial colleagues in tackling the problem as effectively as possible.

Flood Relief.

I wish to share time with Deputy John O'Mahony. I will be very brief because I have raised this issue before. I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I wish him well. I have raised this matter on two occasions in this Dáil. The OPW has funding in place and has submitted a report to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. On two occasions in this House it was confirmed to me that a meeting was to take place between the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. That meeting was to take place a number of weeks ago. Today, I learned from the Department that again that meeting has not taken place.

Tonight I will be nice to the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe, because it is the first night that I have dealt with him.

I thank Deputy Ring.

I want to assure him, his Department and his officials, as Deputy O'Mahony will confirm, that I was at a very angry meeting in Hollymount a number of weeks ago. The only reason that they held off on coming up and taking over the Minister of State's offices and the offices of the National Parks and Wildlife Service is they are waiting for this meeting to take place between the OPW and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

The OPW, in fairness, has drawn up a plan, which I have seen. They are not happy with the second report but they are prepared to go ahead with it. The funding is in place, and we are now waiting for clearance from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

I want the Minister of State to understand this. There is a family in that area whose house has been flooded. The water destroyed their home, and it nearly happened again in November and December last when there were serious floods in this country. People in the cities may not realise, even though they themselves had a bit of flooding. We heard all about the flooding as soon as it occurred in Dublin. We heard about a little drink of water in some of the gardens. However, these people's homes were destroyed. Their lands were destroyed.

I ask the Minister of State to confirm to me tonight that he will direct the National Parks and Wildlife Service tomorrow to have that meeting next week. If he does that, at least we can move the process on. I hope at that meeting, when it takes place, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the OPW, between them, can agree a proper channel to go and we can get these works done. The money is in place and we want the work done.

I thank Deputy Ring for sharing his time. I acknowledge that he has been working on this for many years. As he stated, I attended that public meeting. What was articulated that night was this process of report after report, and finally, now we have the concern of the National Parks and Wildlife Service. If it was not so serious it would be funny. Attending that meeting, I got the feeling that if it was wildlife that were living in the house that was flooded, there would be something done about it but because it is people, there seems to be obstacles and legislation.

Very simple measures will solve the problem in the Hollymount-Roundfort region. It is at a tipping point. It would take very little. It would not in any way damage the environment or anything else. One can rely on people in rural areas. They have looked after the environment better than most over the years.

I add my support to this matter, and Deputy Ring, to bring it to a conclusion. I would appeal to the Minister of State to do that by having this meeting and letting the available funding be spent on alleviating the problem for the people of Hollymount and Roundfort.

I share the Deputies' concern about repeated flooding in the Roundfort-Hollymount area of County Mayo and the need for remedial action. That area around Ballinrobe, Coolabaun, Kilcommon, Rahard and Caravilla is one of Ireland's finest and I express my best wishes to all those affected by the flooding in that area. Indeed, my own home was flooded six years ago and I know all about having to leave a house when the flood waters rise. It is one of the most difficult experiences that a family can have.

In determining how best to address this issue, the Office of Public Works, which proposes to undertake this work, must take into consideration that the area concerned involves two turloughs, which are part of the Kilglassan-Caheravoostia turlough complex special area of conservation, SAC. As such, it is protected under the European Union habitats directive. I am sure the Deputies agree that compliance with European Union directives must be a priority for this Government and they would be the first to point out were we to breach those directives.

As they may well know, turloughs are lakes which disappear underground for part of the year. They are a unique feature of this country and an irreplaceable part of our natural heritage. They are among the most distinctive of our semi-natural landscapes, and many are of international importance. This complex in Mayo is one of the most important and is host to a wide range of habitats. Turloughs are also listed for priority protection under the habitats directive. Where proposed works would affect Natura 2000 sites, such as in this case, it is obligatory that the procedures adopted in considering and implementing proposals are in compliance with this directive.

Article 6(3) of the habitats directive requires that an appropriate assessment be undertaken of any proposals for works which would be likely to have a significant impact on the site. This assessment has to consider the effects of the proposed works on the protected habitats. My Department is advising the OPW on whether its assessment of the impact of the proposed works has ruled out the possibility of damage to the site.

If it is found that such works would have an adverse impact on the site, in view of its conservation objectives, it may only proceed if certain steps outlined in the derogation provisions of Article 6(4) of the habitats directive are complied with. This includes all possible alternative solutions being thoroughly examined and excluded. It also requires that a case be made that the works should go ahead due to imperative reasons of over-riding public interest and that all necessary compensatory measures must be taken. In cases where priority habitat is present on the site, the Commission may also need to be consulted before works can proceed.

In the case under consideration, it is important that the particular flood alleviation methods proposed by the OPW do not damage the hydrology of the turlough complex, causing reduction or disappearance of the turloughs in normal years when water levels at the site would not be expected to give rise to concerns.

My Department has received proposals from the Office of Public Works for drainage operations to alleviate the flooding problem, and has examined the associated assessment. My Department's role is to advise on the quality of the assessment in so far as the likely impacts on the site are concerned. The National Parks and Wildlife Service of my Department has arranged to meet the OPW in early April in order to arrive at an optimum solution to the flooding problem. I thank the Deputies for raising the question.

Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Deputies O'Mahony and Crawford have two and a half minutes each.

May I share my two and half minutes with Deputy Ring?

Is that agreed? Agreed.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic, namely the serious disadvantage at which the farming community on Clare Island and, indeed, all of the islands, are as regards their income from farming.

First, these farmers were ready and willing to join REPS 4, but could not put their plans together because all of the planners were taken up with the farming plans for farmers on the mainland. Then it was withdrawn overnight, effectively, before they had a chance to get their plans formalised. In addition to all of the other cutbacks in farming that these communities have experienced, they have had no income from REPS and, therefore, 60% of their farming income was effectively wiped away.

On behalf of these farmers, I appeal for special consideration. The new scheme is a contentious scheme that has yet to come into place. If it comes into place, however, I ask that some special consideration be given to the farmers on the islands for a 50% top-up on the new scheme that would replace REPS, that a special island top-up would be given to those in REPS 4 who are in the scheme and, for instance, that the outstanding payments to farmers who were given grants under the farm waste management scheme would be paid up-front. It is only right and proper.

These people on the islands are at a serious disadvantage. I have a list of produce that must be transported off the island and requirements that must be brought onto the island, and the extra costs involved for those people.

I appeal to the goodwill of the Minister of State. This is not something that will cost millions of euro. What we are asking for is a fair crack of the whip for these farmers. I ask that they be given special consideration, both in regard to the old REPS 4 scheme, if they got into it, and in the new scheme, when it is finalised.

Will the Minister pay the people entitled to REPS 4 as they have been waiting some time for their money? If the Minister of State wants environmental schemes to work, those participating must be paid on time. This scheme will not work if farmers do not enter into it. As €5,000 is the maximum payment available, it will not be worthwhile for many of them.

From what I know from the islands in County Mayo, island life is difficult with high costs for bringing goods in and out. The Government should provide some form of a top-up to keep island farmers at work. Every summer, and increasingly during the winter months, many tourists visit the islands. It is important they are kept as tourist attractions. However, island inhabitants cannot continue to live on their islands if the resources and money to assist them are not provided.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this matter. I congratulate Deputy Cuffe on his recent ministerial appointment and wish him well in it.

Up to 9,000 farmers have not been paid their REPS 4 payment, which they were promised last October would be paid by Christmas 2009. All sorts of technicalities concerning their applications are being thrown at them. Yet part of the problem is many of them cannot get information on what is wrong, if anything, with their applications.

The Monaghan REPS office has a shortage of staff. With the public sector work-to-rule and officials not getting mileage allowances, many of them have not turned up at the office meaning a backlog of applications has emerged.

I know several farmers and their consultants who have gone to the office to get their forms brought forward. Until they can get the forms down to the Environmental Protection Agency at the Johnstown Castle Estate, County Wexford, they cannot get paid. The farmers in question are in financial desperation. One had to sell his breeding stock to pay his ESB bill or else the supply would have been cut off.

While it may seem like a small scheme to some, to many others it is a matter of life and death. Whatever it takes, will the Minister ensure the personnel are put in place to deal with these applications and ensure its recipients are paid?

Everyone knows the banks are not easy to deal with these times. It is hard to explain to a farm family, however, that billions of euro can be found to underpin the banks and other financial institutions while the REPS 4 moneys are held up, which they believe is because the Government does not have to pay them.

I thank the Deputies for their best wishes on my ministerial appointment. Our islands are a rich repository of our culture, archaeology and social heritage. Long may that continue. For the past 30 years, I have gone to the islands such as Inisheer and Inishbofin off Connemara for my holidays. I have yet to have the privilege to visit Clare Island and the other Mayo islands but I am sure I will get the opportunity and look forward to it.

There are two islands off the Mayo coast on which farmers are participating in REPS 4. There were five applicants on Clare Island, and eight on Inishturk. Of these 13 applicants, nine have been paid to date; one of the others has regrettably died. Another submitted his application in 2009 after the annual closing date of 15 May, which is fixed by EU regulations. Accordingly, his REPS contract could not start until January this year and he will receive his first payment later in the year.

There are outstanding issues with the other two applications and my officials have been dealing with these. In one case an adjusted plan has been received in the Department. This is being examined and I would hope that payment can issue shortly. In the remaining case, the Department is awaiting a response to a query from the farmer.

There are also 20 participants in REPS 3 and all are paid up to date. I appreciate the particular difficulties experienced by island farmers and I am committed to ensuring the outstanding REPS 4 issues are resolved as quickly as possible. In recognition of the difficulties which island farmers face because of their location, island participants under REPS 4 receive an additional 15% on payment rates towards the costs of carrying out their agri-environment undertakings.

I am aware of the income and cash-flow difficulties which many farm families are experiencing. Every effort has been, and continues to be made, to ensure all payments issuing from the Department are up to date and that farmers do not experience any undue delay in receiving payments. With the exception of specific cases where particular difficulties have arisen, I can confirm that payments under the various schemes administered by my Department, and particularly the main schemes such as the single payment scheme and the disadvantaged areas scheme, are up to date.

Payments for 2009 REPS 4 commenced on 18 December 2009 and continue to issue on a weekly basis. As of 30 March, 20,445 farmers had been paid in full out of 28,842 who are due payments, that is over 70% of participants.

That makes no difference to the other 30% of participants.

The first stage payment of 75% for 2009 is on the way to another 666 applicants who will receive payment in the next few days.

The other cases are still under query. To meet the requirements of EU regulations, applications for REPS payments have to go through an exhaustive series of administrative checks before payment can be released. In a significant number of cases, those checks raised issues and queries which required further detailed examination. Departmental staff are working to resolve these as quickly as possible.

Many of these cases require the applicants' planners to amend the farm plans that were submitted originally. Where this is the case, the applicants concerned have been made aware of the position and the applications will be further processed without delay on receipt of amended plans.

The House will be aware from previous debates that there were also delays in processing payments in a small number of local offices due to staff shortages. This has arisen from the Government decision in March 2009 to introduce a moratorium on recruitment and promotion in the public service to control public expenditure and numbers in public sector. This moratorium forms a key element in the Government's policy to control public expenditure.

As a result, my Department has been unable to fill several vacancies. I am endeavouring to put alternative arrangements in place to ensure the prompt processing of claims.

I hope the current delays in some REPS cases will not detract from the overall merit of REPS. The scheme has been one of the most successful operated by the Department since its launch in 1994. It has delivered multiple benefits to the environment with water quality, biodiversity, conservation and landscape enhancement. It has also brought welcome income benefits to farmers, with more than €342 million paid out to REPS participants last year and a total of more than €2 billion paid since 1994. Payments in 2009 reached their highest level ever. The original allocation for last year was just €330 million but additional funds were provided in December last and approved by the Dáil by way of a Supplementary Estimate. Payments due to REPS farmers this year will continue at this high level.

Notwithstanding the Government's decision to close REPS to new entrants in July last year, which was unavoidable given the state of the public finances, the contracts to those farmers in the scheme will be honoured in full. This means there will still be farmers in REPS right up to the end of 2014. By the time the scheme finally comes to an end, payments to farmers will have exceeded €3 billion.

Yesterday, I launched a new agri-environment options scheme, partly funded by the EU but which will also get substantial support from the Exchequer. The Minister for Finance has agreed to provide for payment to approximately 10,000 participants at a maximum of €5,000 a year.

The new scheme focuses on the priority areas of biodiversity, water management and climate change. The shape of the new scheme reflects the increasing emphasis at EU level of having schemes that deliver clearly identifiable and measurable benefits to the environment.

It consists of a menu of actions from which farmers can select those that complement the environmental profiles of their farms. The majority of participants will be able to reach the maximum payment of €5,000 while many others will get very close to that figure.

I thank the Deputies for bringing to my attention the understandable frustration experienced by some REPS applicants.

On a point of order, we did not receive a copy of the Minister of State's speech.

I understand no copies were made available. However, the Deputy will be able to read it tomorrow morning in the Official Report.

I apologise to the Deputy. I have only one copy of my speech and I am sure the parliamentary reporters may need it; they can put it on the public record as soon as possible.

The Dáil adjourned at 9.50 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 1 April 2010.
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