The position regarding the Control of Farmyard Pollution Scheme is set out at Appendix 1.
To date a total of 5,612 applications have been received under the scheme of early retirement from farming of whom 4,998 have been approved. A breakdown by county is attached at Appendix 2.
The position regarding the dairy hygiene scheme is set out at Appendix 3. The level of payments reflects the level of satisfactorily completed works notified to the Department.
A total of 19,547 REPS participants have been approved to date for first stage payments under the scheme and 18,732 have been paid. Approximately 1,500 applications are being processed at local office level but it is not possible to give a breakdown by county. The amount paid to date on first year payments is £57.13 million.
At present 5,790 REPS participants are eligible to apply for second year REPS payments. However, approximately 55 per cent of these have actually applied. A total of 1,937 have been approved for payment and 1,763 have now been paid. The amount paid to date for second stage payments is £6.4 million. Compliance checks must be carried out on participants before payment can be approved. Those participants who are eligible but have not already applied are being given another month in which to make their application.
A breakdown of first and second stage payments approved and paid by county is provided at Appendices 4, 5, 6 and 7 respectively.
