Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

The agri-environment option scheme - or AEOS, which we have just been talking about - is a targeted agri-environment scheme that is part-funded from modulation funds under the CAP health check. As currently framed, the scheme specifically targets three challenges that have been assigned the highest priority at European level. As I outlined in my reply to Question No. 1, these include halting the loss of biodiversity, contributing to the improvement of water quality and combating climate change. The format of the scheme was a menu-type approach, therefore, consisting of actions which can be demonstrably linked to those challenges, such as for example, traditional hay meadows in the case of biodiversity, riparian margins in the case of water quality, and minimum tillage practices in the case of climate change.

There are currently about 15,000 participants in AEOS I and II and I believe that the scheme builds on the important environmental work that commenced with REPS. A total of 6,894 applications were received under AEOS II, which I opened to new applications in 2011. Of this number, 6,615 applicants have been approved into the scheme while the remaining 279 applicants were rejected as not meeting the requirements of the terms and conditions of the scheme. All successful applicants have now been informed of their approval into the scheme and of associated queries that arose from their applications. Of the 2,400 applicants that had initial queries, over 1,840 have responded to query letters that were issued and replies are awaited on the remaining 560 cases.

Under the EU regulations governing the AEOS scheme and other area-based payment schemes, a comprehensive administrative check, including cross-checks with the land parcel identification system, must be completed on all applications before any payment can be made. The land parcel identification system has caused much frustration in my Department and for applicants because it has delayed the payment and processing of applications in many cases. These checks are well advanced and I expect that they will be completed shortly and that payments will commence in June. Payments in respect of 2012 will commence later on this year.

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