More than 2,500 farmers are still awaiting full payment under the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) scheme. The department has also outlined that 99 per cent of single farm payments have now been processed.

According to the latest figures out this week, some 20,142 REPS 4 farmers have received 100 per cent of their REPS 4 2013 payment. A further 2,537 participants have received 75 per cent of their payment and will receive their remaining 25 per cent shortly. A total of €123.28m has been paid to in relation to the 2013 REPS 4 payments.

Payments under the 2013 Single Payment Scheme began on the 16 October and, to date, payments worth €1,182,653,799 have been issued nationally to 121,783 applicants. This represents 99 per cent of all eligible applicants. The department has also said payments continue to be issued on outstanding cases as queries are resolved.

It has also been confirmed that payments worth €194,304,465 have issued nationally for the 2013 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. These payments have been made to some 91,502 applicants, with payments continuing to issue on a twice-weekly basis, with individual cases being paid as they are confirmed eligible.

In terms of the Grassland Sheep Scheme so far with payments worth €13,569,706 have been issuing to some 27,723 applicants. Again payments are continuing to issue as individual cases are confirmed eligible.

According to the department, area-based schemes under the Rural Development Programme, 2007-13 are subject to EU Regulations that require detailed administrative checks on all applications, including cross checks with the Land Parcel Identification System, to be completed before payments can be issued.

It said these rigorous procedures, together with on-farm inspections, apply to a number of scheme payments including REPS and are necessary to ensure that applications meet the scheme conditions and cross-compliance requirements.