The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan yesterday warned farmers who join the new Rural Environment Protection Scheme (Reps4) that it was not "money for old rope" as it is an onerous scheme which will be tightly monitored.
She told the official launch of the €3 billion scheme to protect the rural landscape, increase biodiversity and improve water quality that she would ask her officials to make clear in briefing meetings there were severe penalties for breaches of the rules.
She said almost 60,000 farmers were already signed up to Reps schemes and it was hoped, with increased funding agreed in the partnership talks, that 70,000 farmers would take part in the revised version which runs until 2013.
She said the new scheme encourages farmers to enhance the environment through a range of actions, including reduced use of fertilisers and pesticides contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions, as well as improved water quality. The scheme also assists in maintaining existing hedgerows and planting new ones, growing crops to provide food for wild birds and preserving traditional breeds of animals.
"For generations, farmers and farm families have been the keepers of Ireland's rural landscape and rural environment. Modern farmers are very conscious of their responsibility for this heritage and they want to maintain it and pass it on to future generations. Reps helps them to do this. While the payments are made directly to farmers, the benefits are for society as a whole," she said.
The Minister said €3 billion was being provided for Reps4 over the seven years 2007-2013, more than €400 million per year. She said the Government's commitment was evident in the provision of €1.6 billion in national funding - up by €850 million from the allocation in 2000-2006.
In line with the social partnership agreement, Towards 2016, all payment rates, including those for Natura 2000 designated land, are increased by 17 per cent compared to Reps3. The average Reps farmer will get €7,220 a year in Reps4, while a farmer with 55 hectares will qualify for over €10,000.
The IFA president, Padraig Walshe, said that while the revised Reps4 was long overdue, it did reflect the increases negotiated in the partnership talks.
He expressed concern that difficulties involving farmers whose lands were designed as Special Areas of Conservation had not been resolved.