Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 78: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of farmers who have been accepted into the agri-environmental options scheme; when will payments be made; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40626/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Some 6,000 letters of approval for participation in the scheme have now issued to applicants under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme. Comprehensive administrative and validation checks must be carried out on all applications to ensure eligibility and compliance with the terms and condition of the scheme before letters of approvals can issue, particularly in the case of those applications which required the submission of a Sustainable Management Plan. This represents the majority of 3,419 applicants who have not yet received a start date. I expect the administrative and validation process to be completed and all outstanding cases to be notified of the outcome of their application before the end of November, with successful applicants receiving a start date of 1st November, 2010.

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 79: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the number of applications that have been approved under the agricultural environment options scheme for 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40637/10]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Some 6,000 letters of approval for participation in the scheme have now issued to applicants under the Agri-Environment Options Scheme. Comprehensive administrative and validation checks must be carried out on all applications to ensure eligibility and compliance with the terms and condition of the scheme before letters of approvals can issue, particularly in the case of those applications which required the submission of a Sustainable Management Plan. This represents the majority of 3,419 applicants who have not yet received a start date. I expect the administrative and validation process to be completed and all outstanding cases to be notified of the outcome of their application before the end of November, with successful applicants receiving a start date of 1st November, 2010.