Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 May 2012
564 Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has made any concessions for forestry owners who have been denied the SEPS part of their premium because they are not in REP scheme in view of the fact that REP scheme may have closed during the course of their forestry contract and that many of these forestry owners are now in the replacement agri-environment options scheme. [21714/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Forest Environmental Protection Scheme (FEPS) provides a top-up payment for a maximum period of 5 years, in addition to the standard Afforestation Scheme premium payment. One of the conditions of the scheme is that in each of the five years the applicant must be in REPS at the time of application for the annual FEPS premium. If their REPS membership ceases before the end of their 5-year FEPS term, this makes them ineligible for continued payment of FEPS premiums. Their standard Afforestation Scheme premium would continue for the period of their contract (20 years in the case of farmers). The linkage of eligibility for FEPS is to the REPS Scheme and it was not extended to the new Agri-Environmental Options Scheme (AEOS).
