Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

The arrangements for REPS 4 are derived from a new regulation, which reflects the European Commission's objective of integrating and harmonising the operation of the various farm payment schemes, including the single payment scheme, REPS and the disadvantaged areas scheme. For REPS 4, this means that applications to join the scheme must be submitted by 15 May each year. Payments will relate to the number of months in a year during which a farmer is in a REPS 4 contract and will be released in two phases of 75% and 25%.

The arrangements we announced recently emerged from intensive discussions between the Department's officials and their counterparts at the Commission. In those discussions, my officials pointed out that the previous arrangements had worked well since REPS was first introduced in 1994 and had contributed to the success of the scheme, with almost 60,000 farmers participating in REPS 2 and REPS 3 by the end of 2006. The Commission was adamant, however, that the new regulation must apply to REPS 4. The discussions, therefore, focused on how to apply the new arrangements in a way that mitigated as far as possible any inconvenience they would create for farmers. It was in this context that the Commission agreed to special transitional arrangements for farmers in REPS 2 completing their contracts during 2008. As long as these farmers have submitted applications for REPS by the new closing date of 15 May, they can submit their farm plans thereafter and still receive payment during the year. The Department's officials have written to every farmer in this category to inform them with regard to what they need to do.

This was a significant concession by the Commission. If it had not agreed to these special transitional arrangements at a late stage in the discussions, farmers completing their REPS 2 contracts this year would have had to submit their farm by 15 May or else wait until 2009 to join REPS 4. The Commission insisted, however, that the new regulation must apply strictly to all other farmers joining REPS 4 in 2008 and to everyone joining the new scheme from next year onward.

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