Vol. 518 No. 6
199 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that members of the agricultural community are fully aware of the benefit of participating in the REPs scheme; the steps he is taking to ensure that the farming public are aware of the importance of the scheme from an environmental perspective; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12404/00]
The rural environmental protection scheme has been widely publicised in the media, and promoted by Teagasc, approved planners and the local offices of the Department. This wide publicity, along with the very evident advantages of participation to farmers, has contributed to the achievement of the high participation levels over the first five years of the programme. Since its introduction in 1994, participation in the REP scheme has grown steadily to the current level of 45,500 participants, farming an area of over 1.5 million hectares.
My Department is currently negotiating with the European Commission the terms of the rural development plan, 2000-06, incorporating four measures – agri-environment, early retirement, compensatory allowances and forestry. The rural development plan has been prepared under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1257/1999 on support for rural development. When negotiations are complete and before a new REP scheme is launched appropriate steps will be taken to make the agricultural community aware of the new scheme and the measures contained therein. Under the new scheme, the level of participation is projected to rise further to some 70,000 by 2006.
200 Mr. Penrose asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development the number of farmers who are participating in the REP scheme in County Westmeath; the amount derived therefrom; if he will give an estimate of the numbers that could participate in REPS in County Westmeath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12405/00]
To date, £18.98 million has been paid to 1,557 REPS participants in County Westmeath. It is estimated that there are approximately 3,600 farmers in the county, none of whom would be precluded from making an application to join the scheme. REPS is a voluntary scheme and it is a matter for each farmer to decide whether the scheme is suited to his or her farm enterprise.
In the country as a whole some 45,500 farmers are participating in REPS, and payments totalling over £500 million have been made under the scheme since its inception in 1994. A sum of £1,500 million is available for REPS in the period 2000-06 and this will ensure a very significant increase in the participation rate in the coming years. In conjunction with the launch of the new REP scheme a major publicity drive will be undertaken by my Department to ensure that the benefits of participation in the measure are made apparent to all prospective participants.
201 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development if his attention has been drawn to the fact that many farmers who are eligible for the REP scheme have not joined it, resulting in millions of pounds being lost to the Irish economy; the estimated number of qualifying farmers who have not joined the scheme; and the plans, if any, he has to encourage those farmers to avail of the REP scheme. [12529/00]
The rural environmental protection scheme is open to all farmers and the scheme has been widely publicised since its introduction. The uptake over the first five years of REPS was significant and in line with projections and at present some 45,500 farmers, out of a total of over 140,000, are participating in it and farming over 1.5 million hectares in accordance with its provisions. Payments to farmers under the scheme to date amount to over £500 million.
