John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

I apologise — and Deputy Sheehan. I join them in wishing Mr. O'Brien a speedy recovery to full health.

Like Deputies on all sides of the House, I regard REPS as one of the most successful farming schemes we have ever operated. Since its introduction in 1994, it has delivered more than €2 billion in payments to farmers. However, it is about much more than money. It is a scheme which has brought many benefits to the environment and to society as a whole. It enables farmers to remain viable while farming in ways compatible with protecting and improving the environment, safeguarding biodiversity and contributing to better water quality. The importance of REPS is given the strongest recognition in the programme for Government, with the commitment to further promote the benefits of the scheme and achieve a participation rate of 70,000 farmers.

For generations, farmers and farm families have been the keepers of Ireland's rural landscape and rural environment. Modern farmers are extremely conscious of their responsibility for this heritage and they want to maintain it and pass it on to future generations. REPS helps them to do this. The payments may be made directly to farmers, but the benefits are for everyone.

We are now into REPS 4. When the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Deputy Coughlan, launched the new scheme last August she pointed to the fact that €3 billion had been provided for it over the period of the new rural development programme, which runs to 2013. The Government's commitment to REPS is demonstrated by the fact that this includes €1.6 billion of national funds, almost double the national provision in the seven years to 2006.

On this point, I want to take this opportunity to state clearly that no issue arises with regard to the availability of funds for REPS this year. My Department's Vote contains money to meet all commitments arising under REPS, and the first payments will go out this week to REPS 4 farmers under contracts which commenced in 2007. In line with the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, all payment rates in REPS 4 are increased by 17% compared to REPS 3. This means that the average REPS farmer will receive €7,220 per year in REPS 4, while a farmer with 55 hectares will qualify for more than €10,000.

REPS 4 will help to protect the rural landscape, increase biodiversity and improve water quality. It will encourage farmers to enhance the environment through a range of actions. These include a reduction in the use of fertilisers and pesticides, which will contribute to lower greenhouse gas emissions as well as improved water quality. The scheme also helps to maintain existing hedgerows and promotes the planting of new ones. Some REPS farmers will grow crops to provide food for wild birds. Others will preserve traditional breeds of animals.

When REPS 3, the previous version of the scheme, closed to new entrants in December 2006 more than 59,000 farmers were taking part. We expect these numbers to grow under REPS 4. I am particularly glad to be able to state that, as we have a derogation for more intensive farmers under the nitrates regulations, they are eligible to apply for REPS for the first time.

Since REPS was first introduced in 1994, it has been our practice to pay the farmer at the start of each year of the five-year contract.

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