Dept to hear views on scheme
Minister Joe Walsh announced the move yesterday when he also revealed that administrative changes are to be made to the scheme, which has a target of 70,000 participant farmers by 2006.
He said the consultative process out of which he plans to make proposals would cover all aspects of the scheme.
Mr Walsh said he was calling initially for written submissions from stakeholder groups. The closing date for these would be January 10, 2003.
Mr Walsh said the new rules on title documentation and simplification of REPS plans would be in place from early January 2003, while he envisaged that the consultative process on substantive changes to the scheme would be complete by mid-year.
IFA Rural Development chairman Michael Bergin said the changes were too little too late. Farmers now consider the scheme as financially unviable due to the Minister's failure to increase payments, which have been eroded by at least 30% since the current payment rates were introduced in 1994.
