November AEOS start for up to 3,400
Some 6,000 letters of approval issued initially to applicants, specifying a start date of September 1. Submission of a sustainable management plan was required for most of the remaining 3,419 applicants. Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith expected 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.
The AEOS will be worth almost €4,000 per annum to participating farmers, said Mr Smith. Total full-year commitments under the scheme will exceed €34m. Those approved are in the scheme for five years, so funding is ring-fenced for them, he said. But others must await next week’s budget to discover if there is funding for new applicants.
