Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will allow the Agricultural Consultants Association, who has contact with circa 45,000 farmers, to be promoted equally as a provision for advice on environmental schemes and other farming advice services. [43961/12]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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There are currently 30,000 farmers with active REPS 4 plans. These farmers employed an approved planner to prepare their REPS plans in the first instance. The planners also advise their clients on all matters relating to the Scheme including inter alia, amendments to the plan and obligations under Irish and EU law. The Department has an approved list of planners which includes the members of the Agricultural Association that meet the educational standards laid down and this list is available in the local AES offices and on the Department’s website.

Participants in the AEOS Scheme who require a Sustainable Management Plan must engage a planner. The only planners that are acceptable are those that are registered on the Department’s Cross Compliance Farm Advisory System (FAS) database. It is open to any person with the necessary qualifications to apply for registration.

As regards farm advisory services, individual farmers are free to select their preferred supplier either Teagasc or private consultants and arrange their own fee in this regard. I understand that in the light of resource constraints, Teagasc have identified opportunities for consultants to take on some of their work in areas such as REPs and education support, and this may evolve further in the future.

The Department facilitates the equal participation of all private consultants (including ACA members) and Teagasc in the delivery of payment support schemes such as the Single Farm Payment and advisory initiatives such as the Dairy Efficiency Programme etc. provided they meet the requirements of the programme or scheme.