Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)

A total of 9,236 applications were received by my Department under the agri-environment options scheme, AEOS, by the closing date of 17 May 2010. All these applications have been recorded and examined by my Department. To date, 5,706 applications have been found to be fully compliant with scheme requirements and the applicants have received notification from the Department approving their participation in the scheme.

A further 2,585 applications have been processed and my Department will be issuing the letters of approval over the next few days. In a number of cases, approval for entry into the scheme will be conditional on minor queries and obvious errors being resolved by the applicant. This will bring the total numbers approved by the end of November to 8,291.

There are 921 applications that require more detailed investigation by the Department, some of which must be resolved in correspondence with the applicants before approvals can issue. The Department is working through these applications with a view to reaching a decision on entry into the scheme in each case as soon as possible.

The remaining 24 applicants have withdrawn their applications. The Department has been concentrating on processing the applications and once this process is complete, arrangements will be put in place to commence payments.

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