Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A breakdown would be useful. Finally, with the indulgence of the Chair, I wish to touch on environmental schemes, particularly in the context of the new scheme that is coming down the tracks and that is in pilot phase at the moment.

If we go back to the old REPS, the Holy Grail to which farmers want to return, the average payment was approximately €4,500. The GLAS payment was around the same and it appears that the next round of environmental schemes will be at the same level. When one takes inflation into account, farmers are getting less money but with more conditions attached. The Government previously committed €1.5 billion for a new agri-environmental pilot programme and I see that €200 million has been allocated thus far. Is that €1.5 billion coming from carbon tax receipts or is it separate? Can we expect that the €1.5 billion over ten years will be additional funds for agri-environmental schemes?