Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The 2010 budget for rural environment protection scheme payments was €329 million and the entire sum was spent. In 2011, the Government was left €337 million by its predecessor but spent only €276 million of it, leaving €61 million unspent. The budget for REPS this year is €243 million. Next year, it will be €165 million, a reduction of €172 million from the budget we left this Government for REP and agri-environment option scheme payments.

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