Vol. 527 No. 3
175 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development when the details of the new REP scheme, farm retirement scheme, installation aid scheme and control of farmyard pollution schemes will be available. [28607/00]
The new rural environment protection scheme and the new early retirement scheme came into operation on 27 November 2000. Both schemes form part of the CAP rural development plan for Ireland, 2000-06. Application forms for both schemes are available from the local offices of my Department throughout the country. In addition, application forms for the new REPS are also available from my Department's approved list of REPS planners-agencies.
Under the national development plan a provision of £210.7 million has been made for a scheme of investment aid for farm waste management and a scheme of installation aid for young farmers for the period 2000-06. These schemes will form part of the new regional operational programme for the Border, midlands, and western region and southern and eastern region.
The new scheme of investment aid for farm waste management has recently been formally approved by the European Commission as an operational programme and I expect to announce full details of this new scheme within the next few weeks. Formal clearance and approval are still awaited from the European Commission in relation to the new scheme of installation aid, given that it will operate as a State aid. I anticipate that the two schemes will be open to applicants by the end of January 2001.
