Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 June 2021
353. Deputy Michael Lowry asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if there was a penalty or claw back of moneys, grant or scheme payments to farmers who were in REPS that decided to convert a part of their farm to forestry during the duration of their REPS plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35061/21]
View answerThe Terms and Conditions of the REPS 4 scheme stated that where the eligible area for the Scheme was decreased, the annual payment would be adjusted at the commencement of the next full year. The re-imbursement of aid already paid was not required in respect of lands afforested under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1698/2005. However, where land was afforested during a REPS recording year, a proportionate reimbursement would apply for the part of the REPS year that had not been completed.
The EU regulatory provisions for the subsequent agri-environment, climate measure (GLAS) which is an action rather than area-based scheme did not provide for such reimbursement options. They also required the clawback of any monies paid under the scheme on land which was subsequently afforested at some later point in the scheme.
