REPS not for income support

REPS was never intended to be purely an income support like the single payment or the disadvantaged areas schemes, said Justice Minister Dermot Ahern last week.

He said EU regulations are quite explicit in providing that agri-environmental schemes like REPS can only compensate farmers for income foregone and additional costs incurred through more environmentally friendly farming.

Minister Ahern revealed that REPS 4 contracts will run to the end of 2015 for farmers with contracts ending after January 31 next, who had submitted new applications by July 9.