The First Minister and deputy First Minister acting jointly have made a determination that exceptional circumstances exist, namely as a result of public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic major disruption to the ornamental horticulture market in Northern Ireland.
The Scheme (Schedule 1) provides for financial assistance payments to be made by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to applicants who have suffered a financial loss as a consequence of a disturbance to the agricultural markets caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The Scheme further provides for the eligibility criteria and administration of payments and the terms and conditions under which payments shall be made.
Schedule 2 sets out a list of eligible stock.
The Scheme—
specifies the eligibility criteria and calculation of payment (Article 3 and 4);
specifies the manner in which applications are to be made (Article 5);
provides for the Department to, approve, or reject applications, make payments of financial assistance, and advise applicants of its decision regarding payment (Article 6);
provides for a review of the decision by the Department to reject any applications (Article 7).