Vol. 454 No. 6
40 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the present position regarding farmers who have applied to be part of the rural environment protection scheme who, as part of this scheme, are obliged to carry out work under the control of farmyard pollution scheme which is now suspended and who cannot afford to carry out the pollution control measures without State grants; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPS applicants who were approved for payment under REPS by 27 April 1995 and who had applied for grant aid under the control of farm pollution scheme at that date, will have their CFP applications processed to full approval.
Subsequent to 27 April, REPS plans which require pollution control works to be done are only being accepted if the applicant is doing REPS planned work under the farm improvement programme or undertakes to carry out the pollution control work without grant aid.
The overall position under the control of farmyard pollution scheme is being looked at in the context of a review of expenditure under the Structural Funds schemes in the agriculture area. I would hope that this review will be completed later in the year.
