The “drip feeding” of details regarding the “much-hyped so-called ‘REPS-2’ scheme” has been described as “a complete sham”, by IFA president Tim Cullinan.
The farm leader’s stinging criticism of the proposed new agri-environmental scheme – which was originally described as a programme that would be similar to the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) – follows the emergence of the latest details on the pilot this week.
Speaking at the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee meeting Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the scheme would be paid on a farmer’s first 10ha and would have an average payment of €4,700 under the scheme, with a potential maximum of just under €7,000.
April 1, 2021 11:37 am
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has proudly unveiled its new agri-environment scheme which it calls the “Really Innovative Pilot Scheme” (RIPS).
This scheme – which we have been assured is absolutely
NOT a carbon copy of the old Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) with modified actions – will bring about some “innovative” and “new” ideas to Irish farmers.
Speaking to
AgriLand today (Thursday, APRIL 1), a department source said: “The old REPS scheme offered an average payment of just under €5,000 for various results-based actions.
This new RIPS scheme will offer an average payment of just under €5,000 for results-based actions – but in a trendy new manner with some funky new options.
A new Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) was hailed as one of the big wins for Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael coming out of the Government talks with the Greens last year.