Róisín Shortall
Ceist:29 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Agriculture and Food the changes to be made to the REP scheme from 1 January 2003; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20839/02]
Written Answers. - Rural Environment Protection Scheme.
I am making two administrative changes to the REP scheme which will come into effect in January 2003. The first change relates to title documentation requirements. The scheme's specification requires the planner, when drawing up an REP scheme farm plan, to satisfy himself or herself as to the applicant's title to all eligible land declared in it, whether owned or leased. Land areas declared for the scheme and all other schemes under the CAP rural development plan must be identified in accordance with the integrated administration and control system database, which is updated annually from the area aid application form.
From January 2003, however, only land parcels declared on the database will be eligible for payment under the REP scheme, meaning that planners will no longer be required to check ownership documentation of land parcels in most cases. This change will not apply to leased land or commonage land. Where leased land, excluding commonage or grazing rights, is declared for an REP scheme payment, the planner must continue to make sure that the unexpired period of the lease is long enough to satisfy the conditions of the scheme. Stringent EU conditions of approval for payment on commonage land mean that planners must continue to satisfy themselves about ownership of shares.
The second change I am making is the introduction of a revised and simplified version of the REP scheme plan that will be more suitable for extensive farming systems. The simplified plan will enable the farmer's REP scheme planner to set out clearly an annual programme of works under each of the existing scheme measures, in a straightforward way which will leave no room for doubt about the programme of works to be delivered during the course of the REP scheme agreement. Qualifying farmers may still choose the more comprehensive plan format if they wish. While the administrative changes do not affect the commitments and undertakings that a farmer must enter into under the REP scheme, the new procedures will simplify the application process and make the plan more relevant to extensive farming systems.
In a separate initiative to streamline the application process, all REP scheme planners will be given the facility, with the agreement of their client farmers, to access and download land parcel information from my Department's land parcel information system. This will enable planners to quickly identify and map farms when farmers identify their land parcels in connection with their REP scheme applications.