Written answers
Thursday, 14 December 2006
Department of Agriculture and Food
Rural Environment Protection Scheme
7:00 pm
Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 319: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the annual cost of the rural environment protection scheme, on an annual basis from the date the scheme started; if she will quantify the activity generated by the scheme for each year for which figures are supplied; the smallest, the average and the largest individual payment made in each year under the scheme; the projected cost of the scheme in 2007; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43413/06]
Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Cost | Participants |
| €million | ||
| 1994 | 1.5 | 336 |
| 1995 | 37.4 | 8,415 |
| 1996 | 70.9 | 18,194 |
| 1997 | 127.6 | 29,132 |
| 1998 | 167.9 | 36,300 |
| 1999 | 183.2 | 41,092 |
| 2000 | 205.6 | 44,802 |
| 2001 | 164.8 | 34,293 |
| 2002 | 172.6 | 43,643 |
| 2003 | 183.9 | 38,493 |
| 2004 | 208.9 | 42,697 |
| 2005 | 284.6 | 47,483 |
| 2006 (Projected out-turn) | 323 | 58,500 |
The size of the average farm in REPS is 34 hectares. Since the scheme was introduced in 1994, a farm of that size would have qualified for €5,406 per annum under REPS 1 (1994-99), for €5,134 per annum under REPS 2 (2000-04), and for €6,450 per annum under REPS 3 (2004-06). Some €328 million has been provided for REPS in the 2007 Estimates.
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