Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

Approximately 10,000 farmers - I say this without having checked the figures recently - will exit REPS 3 between now and the middle of next May, which is equivalent to the number of people who joined the new AEOS scheme on 17 May last. The original allocation for the REPS schemes in 2009 was €330 million. With reallocation from other subheads I was able to pay out €341 million. The figure of €330 million is adequate to meet requirements this year. I have asked those people involved in REPS 3 to return their annual claims so as to enable us turn around payments quickly. I am at this stage trying to encourage people to get back to us so that we can maximise payments this year.

With regard to the total funding available to the Department next year, that figure has not yet been finalised in the context of the forthcoming budget and so on. I accept Deputy Doyle's point, which was previously made to me by Deputy Sherlock. The AEOS scheme has been successful and a number of farmers now exiting REPS 3 or who will do so in the early part of next year are interested in joining a follow up scheme. Decisions have not yet been made in regard to possible admission to the AEOS scheme. That will not be finalised for some time.

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