Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 1 Dec 1999

Vol. 512 No. 1

Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.

Jimmy Deenihan

Ceist:

141 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if he will extend the closing date for second and subsequent year payments and new five year plans for those already on the REP scheme wishing to avail of the enhanced rates of payment under supplementary measure A from 30 November 1999 until 14 December 1999 to enable farmers and scheme planners to have new applications submitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25618/99]

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (Mr. Walsh)

The rural environment protection scheme is one of the programmes approved under the accompanying measures introduced in the 1992 CAP reform. REPS has its legal basis in Council Regulation (EEC) No 2078/1992 which expires on 31 December 1999.

A new agri-environmental scheme will be included in the rural development plan to be submitted to the European Commission by the end of December under European Council Regulation (EEC) No. 1257/1999 on Support for Rural Development. Pending approval of the rural development plan, the Commission has put in place transitional rules which provide that only applications approved on or before 31 December 1999 may be admitted into the scheme. I have allocated additional resources to ensure that applications lodged by 30 November can be processed within the timeframe of the transitional rules. It is not possible, however, to accept applications after 30 November.

Existing participants who apply for second year or subsequent payments on their existing contracts are not affected by these arrangements and such applications will be processed as heretofore.