Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 65: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the reason he has not established the farmers' charter monitoring committee and to set out his Department's level of compliance with the charter commitments; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16930/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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The Farmers Charter Action Plan 2009-2011 was agreed with the farm organisations in May 2009. Further consultations subsequently took place with the farm organisations in relation to changes to a number of the main Department schemes, including the establishment and recent launch of the new Agri-Environment Options Scheme, and a Chairman of the Monitoring Committee has not yet been appointed.

It is however my intention to shortly appoint a Chairman, following consultation with the Social Partner Farm Organisations. Under the terms of the Charter agreement the new Monitoring Committee will meet three times a year, or otherwise as agreed, to monitor implementation of the Charter. The Monitoring Committee will also monitor service delivery and payment deadlines in respect of new schemes, or changes to Charter commitments following any changes to existing schemes. These will include new schemes under the revised Rural Development Programme such as the Agri-Environment Options Scheme and a number of new on-farm investment schemes due to be rolled out over the lifetime of the Programme.