Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has taken the first significant step in reviving the REPS by allocating €79m to new agri-environmental measures in Budget 2021.

The bulk of this money will be used to roll out a hotly anticipated “REPS-style” pilot scheme. It will only be open to farmers not in GLAS next year.

Some of the funding will be used for a top-up payment for farmers in GLAS who want to take on extra measures for biodiversity, environment and carbon benefits. Minister McConalogue wants to keep these measures open to as many farmers as possible.

A €10m pot has been ring-fenced for tillage farmers and a number of farm safety initiatives are also expected to come from the fund.

In a welcome move for farmers facing the loss of more than €450m in scheme funding, Minister McConalogue renewed key schemes, including GLAS, ANC, BDGP and the Sheep Welfare Scheme.

He also earmarked €45m for a COVID-19 fund open to both beef and dairy farmers, and allocated €80m for the popular TAMS.