Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

Is it the case, in light of the number of people who will exit REPS 3 during the course of 2011-12 that this burden will reduce significantly if no other scheme is put in place? I cannot urge strongly enough upon the Minister the necessity to provide some form of other scheme. I acknowledge that REPS was never intended to be an income stream per se but REPS has been used as income support by people in Donegal and the west involved in destocking.

The number of people exiting REPS 3 will result in a significant lower burden in 2011. It is important that some option is available to those people in 2011-12 and into the future.

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