Smith unveils payment for farms hit by waste scheme payment deferrals

A SPECIAL ex-gratia payment will be made to farmers whose farm waste management grants have been partially deferred to 2010 and 2011, Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith has announced.

The payment, which will not exceed 3.5% ofthe value of the deferred instalments, will be made with the final grant in January, 2011.

Mr Smith has also confirmed that the initial 40% instalments of up to 6,000 grants, cleared for payment, will begin this week and will continue as cases are cleared over the next few months.