Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 186: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on farmers in receipt of REP scheme and set aside payments being allowed to use their land to grow energy crops. [32714/08]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The growing of energy crops by farmers in the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) is permitted. The area allowed for the growing of miscanthus or willow in REPS is 25% of the utilizable agricultural area of the holding or 10 hectares, whichever is the greater. Farmers who have declared land as set-aside and are in receipt of set-aside payments receive no additional payment under the EU Energy Crops Premium. However, it is likely that the requirement for obligatory set-aside will be permanently dispensed with as and from 2009. A decision of the EU Agriculture Ministers on this issue, in the context of the CAP health Check, is expected in November.