Paul McGrath (Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the REPS 4 will be open to applicants; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3546/07]

Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The rural environment protection scheme, REPS, 4 will form part of the new rural development programme for the period 2007 to 2013. The programme was sent to the European Commission in late December and has to go through its approval process. We cannot be definite as to how long this process will take but we continue to pursue early approval. Our officials are in ongoing contact about it with our counterparts in the Commission services.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Will the Minister give an educated guess as to when this scheme will be in place? A number of farmers were on the REPS 2 scheme, which lapsed on 31 December, and they cannot apply for a new scheme until REPS 4 becomes available. Will the Minister extend the REPS 2 scheme as an interim measure, either for six or 12 months, to get over the anomaly that exists? Farmers who were in REPS 1 and continued into REPS 2 have found themselves in limbo until the new scheme becomes available. Is it possible to facilitate a continuation of REPS 2 in the interests of good environmental management and to maintain the income those farmers have had up to now?

Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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Last year we took advantage of the Commission's transitional rules to make special provision for REPS 2 contracts that expired up to 30 November 2006 to be extended for a further year. This option is no longer available to us because the EU regulations governing REPS 2 and REPS 3 expired on 31 December 2006. It is now legally impossible to approve or extend contracts under either of those schemes. Farmers whose REPS 2 contracts are expiring have had two opportunities to transform their undertakings into new five-year contracts in REPS 3. We are doing our best to make sure REPS 4 will be available for them as early as possible.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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In light of the funding they received by the colleague of the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food through the national development plan and in the budget, surely a national scheme could be introduced to get over this issue until REPS 4 becomes available. We are talking about a small number of people but they should not be left high and dry.

Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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It would take far longer to do what the Deputy suggests than engage in the process we are going through at the moment. There will be a meeting next week. The Minister has raised the specific issues and we do not anticipate problems regarding REPS 4 — we are doing all we can to progress it. Meetings have been undertaken with the Commission on this matter and further meetings are planned.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is doing her best to announce it before the election.

Mary Wallace (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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It is a great scheme and there will be more money for everybody. There will be better environmental returns and great choices and options. The scheme will be open to intensive farmers for the first time and it will be such a wonderful scheme it will be worth waiting for.

Denis Naughten (Longford-Roscommon, Fine Gael)
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Do not forget the forestry end of it.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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As Joe Dolan said, "more and more".