Slurry Store Grants Will Be Found, Hints Rooker

Questionmarks over the funding first came to light at the beginning of March when DARD announced that the 45m set aside for the scheme would not be enough.

Farmers would be treated on a "first come, first served" basis.

The news prompted an angry response from the farming community, who described the situation as "a shambles".

But following a meeting in London late last week, Lord Rooker gave the clearest hint yet that funding would be found, to ensure that all farmers who submit valid applications will be paid.

Key to this will be securing an extension to the scheme.

As things stand, work on slurry storage is supposed to be completed by the end of this year to quality for the grant.

But Lord Rooker revealed he had already submitted a request to Brussels for the scheme to be extended to the end of 2008.

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