Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason for the tight deadline for REP scheme four applicants; when first payments under this scheme will issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27129/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Farmers may apply to join the REPS 4 scheme at any time of the year by submitting an application and farm plan to my Department's Local AES Office. I have recently introduced more flexible rules for farmers in REPS 3 who may wish to transform to REPS 4 before finishing their five-year contracts in REPS 3. Previously, such farmers would have had to get their REPS 4 applications in before their anniversary dates, but they now have two months after the anniversary to do so.

While farmers may continue to apply to join REPS at any time of the year, changes in EU regulations which take effect in January 2008 will mean that applications for payment under the Scheme must be made within the same period allowed for the submission of the Single Payment Scheme application. In practical terms this means that first-time applicants for REPS will need to submit their REPS 4 plans before the Single Payment application deadline to ensure that they get their first REPS payment within the same calendar year. First-time REPS applications received after the closing date for SPS applications will be given a REPS commencement date in the normal way but the first REPS payment backdated to that commencement date will not issue until the following calendar year. Second and subsequent payments under REPS will not be affected and payment will issue in the normal course. These changes will have no impact on farmers remaining in REPS 3.

Applications for REPS 4 are already being processed and I expect the first payments to be made shortly.