Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The farm waste management scheme was put in place to help farmers adjust to the new environmental conditions and standards required by the EU nitrates directive and to support the competitiveness of Irish agriculture. In response to the very strong take-up of this scheme, I am now providing for a further increase of €35 million in the 2008 provision to bring total grant aid next year to almost €150 million.

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