Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the progress that has been made with regard to REP scheme four applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11936/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The total number of applications for REPS 4 received in 2007 and 2008 was 12,292. As of today, REPS 4 payments have been made to 6,194 applicants or just over 50% of the total. These payments amount to some €20.5 million.

REPS 4 is a measure under the current Rural Development Programme 2007–13 and is subject to different EU Regulations from the preceding versions of REPS. Under REPS 4, all payments are to be made in just two instalments each year. The first payment, of 75%, could be made only when all administrative checks on all 2008 applications for REPS 4 and the Single Payment Scheme were completed. These included checks on areas and on the plan details. My Department's controls have to satisfy stringent EU regulatory and audit requirements.

Many REPS 4 plans were prepared using eREPS, the electronic planning system approved and funded by my Department. The information on these plans is in computerised format and it was necessary to develop an appropriate computer based control system for checking these plans. This was a lengthy process and the system was not available until late autumn. However a substantial minority of plans submitted were not prepared using eREPS. Administrative checks on these have to be done manually and are extremely time-consuming. An effect of industrial action in my Department's local offices last year was that this process was delayed.

The first payments for 2008 REPS 4 applications issued in the last week of January 2009 to those whose applications required no correction following the administrative checks. Further payments continue to be made as applications are cleared.